Zicam
Type | homeopathic remedy |
---|---|
Inventor | Charles B. Hensley and Robert Steven Davidson |
Inception | 1990s |
Manufacturer | Zicam, LLC |
Current supplier | Zicam, LLC |
Website | http://www.zicam.com/ |
Zicam is a branded series of products marketed for
Zicam was invented and developed by
Ingredients and use
Because this product is a "homeopathic" over-the-counter drug, it is exempt from a number of the requirements ordinarily applicable to OTC drug products, provided it conforms to the standards of the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS) and is labeled as a homeopathic product. The only biologically active ingredients present in Zicam Cold Remedy are zinc acetate (2X = 1/100 dilution) and zinc gluconate (1X = 1/10 dilution).[2] Other sources list the ionic zinc content as "33 mmol/L of zincum gluconium".[8]
Zicam is marketed as a
Safety concerns
Litigation
In 2006, Matrixx Initiatives paid $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits from Zicam users who said that the product destroyed their sense of smell (medically termed anosmia),[7] although the company did not admit fault.[15] As of 2009, "hundreds more such suits have since been filed."[7]
In 2005, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers pension fund sued Matrixx Initiatives for misrepresenting the stock by not reporting the risks of Zicam.[16] In Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. v. Siracusano, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the union's suit could go forward.[17]
In 2014, Yesenia Melgar commenced an action entitled Melgar v. Zicam LLC, et al. Melgar claimed that Zicam deceived customers by falsely representing that Zicam products "reduce the duration and severity of a cold." The court allowed the case to become a class action suit that included a variety of Zicam products. In 2018, a settlement was reached. Zicam agreed to pay $16,000,000 to people that had purchased Zicam products between Feb. 15, 2011 and June 5, 2018.[18]
NAD claims
In April 2013, the
FDA warning and product recall
On June 16, 2009, the
The FDA also issued a
In addition, the FDA's warning letter prompted the
On June 19, 2009, Health Canada, in a foreign product alert, also issued a similar warning based on the U.S. FDA information.[29]
References
- ^ Our Story
- ^ a b Zicam: Label data, National Institutes of Health
- ^ Salzberg, Steven. "The Top Five Cold Remedies That Do Not Work". Forbes. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^ "Cold-Shortening Products: Are They Worth It?". Reviews.com. February 26, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Matrixx Corporate Page". Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
- ^ Gorman, Christine (November 15, 1999). "Block That Cold!". Time. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009.
- ^ a b c Harris, Gardinier (June 16, 2009). "FDA Warns Against Use of Zicam". New York Times.
- S2CID 12554540.
- ^ "Nasal spray can cause loss of smell, FDA warns". NBC News. Associated Press. June 16, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- S2CID 20317285.
- PMID 12509647. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- S2CID 39667178.
- ^ Description of Histaminum Hydrochloricum
- ^ Luffa operculata L. COGN Sponge Cucumber Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Homeopathic medicine company fights off Zicam lawsuits". USA Today. August 1, 2007.
- ^ See Siracusano v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., 585 F.3d 1167, 1169 (2009).
- ^ No. 09-1156 (U.S. Mar. 22, 2011) (slip op.).
- ^ "Court Documents | Melgar v. Zicam LLC and Matrixx Initiatives, Inc".
- ^ Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, April 5, 2013.
- ^ a b "FDA Advises Consumers Not To Use Certain Zicam Cold Remedies: Intranasal Zinc Product Linked to Loss of Sense of Smell". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. June 16, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Food and Drug Administration. June 16, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
- ^ Matrixx Said It Didn’t Give 800 Zicam Reports to FDA (Update1)
- ^ a b c d Autor, Deborah M. (June 16, 2009). "Warning Letter, FDA Director of Compliance to Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. AKA Zicam LLC". Food and Drug Administration.
- Des Moines Register, June 20, 2009, page 16A.[full citation needed]
- ^ F.D.A. Warns Against Use of Popular Cold Remedy, New York Times, June 16, 2009
- ^ a b "Matrixx Initiatives Voluntarily Withdraws Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel". Matrixx Corporation. June 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "Matrixx recalls Zicam nasal cold products". Associated Press. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009.
- ^ Matrixx again asks FDA to rescind Zicam warning, Matrixx Initiatives, in The Arizona Republic, November 19, 2009
- ^ Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size – Foreign Product Alert
External links
- Zicam Website
- Matrixx Initiatives Archived August 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine