QGLY in the News.....
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Tuesday November 23 2:35 PM ET
FTC Acts Against Zinc Cold Remedy Claims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday the makers of a popular and widely-advertised homeopathic remedy for the common cold had agreed to settle charges they made unsubstantiated claims for the product.
The Quigley Corporation (NasdaqNM:QGLY - news), which makes and markets Cold-Eeze brand zinc lozenges, has agreed not to claim they can prevent colds, reduce the risk of pneumonia, fight allergies and ease cold symptoms in children, the FTC said.
The settlement does not impact the company's primary claim that Cold-Eeze can reduce the severity and duration of cold symptoms in adults, FTC and company officials said.
Cable television retailer QVC Inc., which distributed the product and carried infomercials in which some of the disputed claims were made, was also party to the settlement.
''These settlements will ensure that consumers are no longer being misled by unsubstantiated claims about these products,'' said Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. ''And they will also help remind marketers of their responsibility to back up all advertising promises.''
Homeopathic remedies are usually classified as dietary supplements in the United States and are therefore exempt from the rigorous government scrutiny that pharmaceutical drugs must undergo before coming to market.
Last year, however, the FTC issued an advertising guide for dietary supplements stating that all health claims must be presented truthfully and that advertising must be backed by scientific evidence.
''The claims that were of concern to the FTC largely relate to spontaneous statements made on QVC several years ago, and not any core claims of Cold-Eeze,'' said Quigley Corp. President and CEO Guy Quigley.
''We are gratified the Commission has taken no action regarding the fundamental claim ... regarding the reduction in the duration and severity of the common cold -- a claim that has been established in a rigorous clinical environment.''
Zinc has won a wide popular following in the battle against the common cold, though research has produced mixed results. In 10 studies so far of oral zinc as a cold remedy, five found the preparation helped relieve cold symptoms and five did not.
''For this investigation, what we focused on were the claims they were making that went far beyond any available science or claims that were directly contrary to the available evidence, for example the children claim,'' an FTC official said.
A study commissioned by Quigley and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year found zinc lozenges were ineffective in easing cold symptoms in a group of children and adolescents.
The company said the study had not followed the agreed-upon test protocol and criticized the result as ''bad science.''
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Of course Quigley issued a silly follow-up press release this morning "clarifying" the news. |
