Lawsuit calls into question cold and flu remedy
Perhaps you remember the advertisements for Cold-FX with the tough-talking Don Cherry. Well, now the effectiveness of the product has been called into question as part of an ongoing class action lawsuit.
A new study has been brought to light suggesting that the flu and cold remedy is no more effective than a placebo. Led by John Green, a Vancouver lawyer, it suggests that the company’s marketing claims that Cold-FX could bring immediate relief to flu and cold symptoms are open for debate.
The lawsuit has been filed against the product’s owners Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which bought Cold-FX from Afexa Life Sciences in 2011. The product, which was the official cold and flu remedy of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, in 2010, has since had its description adjusted. Now, as part of its website marketing, the product is said to “boost your immune system” and “help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms.”
The issue is back in the spotlight due to revelations that the makers of the product may have kept some data private during a trial in 2004 when Dr Gerry Predy, a health official, suggested that Cold-FX’s ability to produce its desired result may be overplayed.
According to Steven Hoffman, director and professor at the University of Ottawa for its global strategy lab, the fact that this research existed and the company did not disclose it is “clearly unethical”.
In Canada, health products are regulated in two ways. Prescribed remedies have to go through a long process to prove they are safe. By contrast, natural products, such as Cold-FX, are classified differently. However, the issue arises over the potential false claims.
The lawsuit is expected to continue with a hearing in April that will decide whether or not there is a settlement or if the issue goes to trial.
A new study has been brought to light suggesting that the flu and cold remedy is no more effective than a placebo. Led by John Green, a Vancouver lawyer, it suggests that the company’s marketing claims that Cold-FX could bring immediate relief to flu and cold symptoms are open for debate.
The lawsuit has been filed against the product’s owners Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which bought Cold-FX from Afexa Life Sciences in 2011. The product, which was the official cold and flu remedy of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, in 2010, has since had its description adjusted. Now, as part of its website marketing, the product is said to “boost your immune system” and “help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms.”
The issue is back in the spotlight due to revelations that the makers of the product may have kept some data private during a trial in 2004 when Dr Gerry Predy, a health official, suggested that Cold-FX’s ability to produce its desired result may be overplayed.
According to Steven Hoffman, director and professor at the University of Ottawa for its global strategy lab, the fact that this research existed and the company did not disclose it is “clearly unethical”.
In Canada, health products are regulated in two ways. Prescribed remedies have to go through a long process to prove they are safe. By contrast, natural products, such as Cold-FX, are classified differently. However, the issue arises over the potential false claims.
The lawsuit is expected to continue with a hearing in April that will decide whether or not there is a settlement or if the issue goes to trial.
