GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) announced today that it is withdrawing its popular zinc formulations of SuperPoligrip denture cream from the market as a result of health concerns. SuperPoligrip has been on supermarket shelves and consumed by millions of consumers worldwide for decades. GSK (and Block Drug Company before it) has aggressively advertised SuperPoligrip to consumers since the 1970’s.
GSK’s withdrawal of SuperPoligrip comes amidst controversy and pressure from lawsuits filed by law firms such as Chaffin Luhana LLP in federal and state courts alleging that zinc in SuperPoligrip and Fixodent (manufactured by Procter & Gamble) causes zinc poisoning and copper deficiency in consumers who use large amounts of the products. The copper deficiency in turn results in extremely debilitating and permanent paralysis.
“Our typical SuperPoligrip and Fixodent client uses a wheelchair, walker or cane for mobility and many of them have hands that are so spastic that they resemble claws,” said Eric Chaffin, who is a partner at New York based Chaffin Luhana LLP, which represents dozens of injured denture cream consumers.
Mr. Chaffin was one of the first attorneys in the country to advocate for GSK and P&G to take action to stop consumers from being poisoned from the zinc in SuperPoligrip and Fixodent when early last year he appeared on Good Morning America with one of his clients, Ellen Isaacs, regarding this important consumer safety issue. Mr. Chaffin has since been appointed by both federal and state courts as one of the lead attorneys in the denture cream lawsuits. His firm so far represents over 50 consumers – one of the two largest groups of injured SuperPoligrip and Fixodent consumers in the country - who are suing GSK and P&G for zinc poisoning from these products.
About the withdrawal, Mr. Chaffin stated, “My clients are still horribly injured and this does not compensate them for their injuries. But, it is satisfying to see GSK finally act responsibly by pulling SuperPoligrip from store shelves, which is something we think they should have done a long time ago. Consumers put this stuff in their mouths every day and it is there all day long. It contains lots of zinc. They inevitably swallow it and those who use large amounts of the products are allegedly poisoned. I think the people at GSK knew that there was no way the company could ensure that consumers are not poisoned from the zinc in SuperPoligrip and the risks and injuries related to zinc poisoning are so horrific that those risks clearly outweigh any potential benefits consumers get from these zinc based denture creams. We think there are clearly safer alternatives on the market and are glad to see that GSK will be putting out more zinc-free formulations and moving away from this dangerous product line. As for the lawsuits, we still have a lot of work to do. In the near term, I’d like to see Procter & Gamble wake up and act responsibly by following GSK’s lead to change this industry and withdraw Fixodent from the market. Then and only then will all denture cream consumers be safe in our view.”
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