Zicam Lawsuit |
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Lawyers Represent People Harmed by Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel |
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FDA Warns Consumers to Discontinue Use of Zicam |
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June 16, 2009—The FDA advised consumers to discontinue use of several Zicam Cold Remedy products due to the risk of anosmia, a potentially permanent loss of smell. Matrixx Initiatives, the manufacturer of Zicam, settled approximately 340 cases in January 2006 involving people who alleged anosmia following use of Zicam. The FDA indicated it had received complaints from 130 consumers dating back to 1999. The FDA issued a warning letter stating the products no longer can be marketed without FDA approval. Matrixx Initiatives previously took the position that Zicam was a homeopathic drug not subject to FDA regulation. |
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ABC15 Reports on Link Between Zicam and Anosmia |
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February 8, 2007—ABC15 in Phoenix, Arizona aired a story titled "Leaving You Senseless?" that reported on the link between Zicam and anosmia. Click here to watch the news report. |
Matrixx Initiatives Settles 340 Zicam Lawsuits |
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January 19, 2006—Matrixx Initiatives has reached a settlement with 340 persons who lost their sense of smell after using Zicam. These cases resolved for $11.9 million plus $100,000 in costs. |
Zicam Lawsuit |
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Zicam is a popular non-prescription zinc nasal spray. Its manufacturer markets it as a medication to shorten the duration of the common cold. Zicam has been associated with the onset of a condition known as anosmia, which leaves the user with a potentially permanent loss of smell and taste. These side effects typically are irreversible. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently is collecting and evaluating reports of severe reactions to Zicam. |
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Media Report Links Zicam and Loss of Smell |
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ABC7 in Denver, Colorado first brought public attention to the potential side effects of Zicam when it reported on a station employee who lost her sense of smell after using Zicam to treat a cold. The employee was diagnosed with anosmia, a condition that likely will result in the permanent loss of her sense of smell. The station received an outpouring of user feedback following its report. ABC7 reported that within a week of running the story, they already had received 80 reports from people injured by zinc nasal spray. Most of those experiencing serious side effects had used Zicam. The others had used Cold Eeze. |
Matrixx Initiatives Refuses to Warn Patients About Potential Zicam Risks |
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Zicam Manufacturer Describes Reports of Anosmia as "Completely Unfounded" |
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In spite of widespread reports of potential problems with the medication, the manufacturer of Zicam refuses to warn users about the possible dangers of the drug. Matrixx Initiatives, the manufacturer of Zicam, reported on their web site that the medication is "safe" in spite of an admission that they had not conducted any studies on the loss of smell. The manufacturer of Zicam went even further when it released a notice on February 6, 2004 "reaffirming" the safety of Zicam. The manufacturer claimed:
These safety notices issued by Matrixx were made even though the company admitted it had not conducted any studies on loss of smell and in the face of numerous user reports and news stories linking the nasal spray with anosmia. |
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. Current Consumer Cases |
Doctors Comment on Zicam |
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"They'd spray the Zicam in, experience intense burning, or pain in the nose, and then have total loss of
smell." "You put zinc on the olfactory receptor and you effectively kill the receptor. It's like pouring acid on
an open wound." "I immediately experienced this horrific, almost unbearable burning. The next day, I had no taste, no smell,
and it didn't come back." |
Zicam News |
FDA Warns Against Use of Zicam FDA: Zicam May Damage Sense of Smell Zicam: Smelling Trouble? Paying Through the Nose |