Posts Tagged ‘ Zicam ’

Zicam Recall puts new light on Possible Treatment for Smell Loss

July 15th, 2009. By AbiK

Zicam users who’ve allegedly found themselves without a sense of smell have to deal with another “loss”: the loss—or lack—of treatment options.

One thing you immediately realize upon reading a July 10^th article from HealthDay Reporter on loss of smell and a possible new treatment for it is that restoring the sense of smell is not an easy task—few treatment options exist and those that do exist are not a sure bet.

The article, however, points to a potentially new treatment option found in a drug once used to treat asthma. The drug, theophylline, showed some initial promise in a recent study done by Dr. Robert Henkin, director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders in Washington, D.C.

The study looked at 312 patients who were diagnosed with hyposmia (loss of smell) over a seven-year period. After being treated with theophylline, over 50% of the participants in the study reported improved sense of smell; more than 20% reported their smell had returned to normal. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Zicam
Posted in Defective Products, Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | 663No Comments »2009-07-15+18%3A27%3A12AbiK

Week Adjourned: 6.19.09

June 19th, 2009. By LucyC

Top class actions

Get a Whiff of Zicam. Oh wait, maybe you can’t. At least that’s what’s at the heart of the latest Zicam news. No, it’s not a class action yet—but it could be. And it wouldn’t be the first one. At issue are 3 Zicam cold remedies that cause a loss of sense of smell—a condition known as anosmia. As if the cold wasn’t enough of a problem.

In 2005 more than 300 people filed a class action lawsuit against Matrixx, the makers of cold remedies marketed under the name Zicam, alleging the zinc nasal spray caused a loss of sense of smell and taste. Matrixx settled the suit in 2006 for $12 million.

This week, on June 16, 2 years and 130 adverse event reports later, the FDA released a public health advisory urging consumers not to use the Zicam cold remedies, for the same reasons the lawsuit was brought in 2005.

The products named in the FDA’s advisory are Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (a discontinued product). What part of this didn’t Matrixx get the first time round?

Top settlements

MySpace Ain’t Your Space. What would you do if you were forced to give your employer your ID and password to an online group you had created with the express purpose of venting your frustrations about your employer? Well, 2 waiters in New Jersey who were faced with that very situation filed a class action lawsuit. And they won.

Restaurant managers who worked at Houston’s in Hackensack, NJ, were fined by a federal jury for surreptitiously monitoring employees’ postings in a MySpace gripe group. The jury ruled that the managers had violated state and federal laws designed to protect privacy of internet communications. The jury awarded the waiters a total of $3,400 in back pay and $13,600 in punitive damages.

BMW: Sheer Driving Pleasure? (if you excuse the faulty subframes). If you or someone you know owns a fourth-generation 3-series model BMW—say the E46—you will be happy to hear there is a settlement pending in the 2006 class action suit against the automaker. So far, BMW has agreed to begin inspections and repairs of potentially faulty subframes in these models.

Currently the settlement is only valid for US residents, and no recall is planned. BMW customers with questions can visit www.E46subframeclassactionsettlement.com.

That’s it for this week. See you at the Bar…

Tags: BMW, MySpace, Zicam
Posted in Emerging Issues | 411No Comments »Week+Adjourned%3A+6.19.092009-06-20+01%3A15%3A50LucyC

Matrixx Expects Wave of New Zicam Lawsuits

June 19th, 2009. By Evelyn Pringle

Matrixx is preparing for a new wave of lawsuits from consumers alleging that certain Zicam products have caused anosmia, or loss of smell and taste, according to the June 19, 2009 Arizona Republic.

In early 2006, the company settled one round of 340 lawsuits for $12 million to avoid the legal costs of defending each suit, company officials told the Republic.

On June 16, 2009, the FDA warned the public to stop using Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size because they could cause “long-lasting or permanent” loss of smell.

The agency noted receiving 130 reports since 1999 from consumers and doctors. The FDA learned that Matrixx had received another 800 reports during an inspection of the company in May, and claims that Matrixx was required to turn them over to the FDA under a 2007 regulation.

The agency also sent Matrixx a warning letter saying these products cannot be marketed without FDA approval. “Companies have an obligation to the public to demonstrate to the FDA that their products are safe, particularly when there is evidence they may be causing serious adverse events, and they are marketed for minor, self-limiting conditions like the common cold,” said Deborah Autor, director of CDER’s Office of Compliance, in the advisory to the public.

“The FDA has asserted that the Company is in violation of its regulations by failing to file a new drug application for its Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs and that those products are misbranded under their regulations for failing to adequately warn of risks,” Matrixx said in a June 16, 2009 press release.

“The Company believes the FDA action is unwarranted and is in the process of determining its response, which may include removing these products from the marketplace,” Matrixx wrote.

“These products constituted approximately 40% of the Company’s net sales in 2009,” the release noted.

Tags: Anosmia, Zicam
Posted in Emerging Issues | 404No Comments »2009-06-19+21%3A24%3A55Evelyn+Pringle

Zicam customers have spoken…

June 17th, 2009. By AbiK

But are they smelling? While there’s still a lot on the Zicam FDA warning that needs to play out, truly, a Zicam picture is worth a thousand words. This one taken right from the customer testimonial page on the Zicam website can only be described as…ironic, no?

zicamscreen Zicam customers have spoken...