Zicam maker pulls products, but affirms safety - St. Louis Business Journal:

ejoxot.wordpress.com
The FDA said it received more than 130 complaints from consumer s saying they have lost their sense of smelll after usingthe products. Jennifer a former school teacher who livesin Ala., said she lost her senswe of smell after using Zicam to prevent the duratioh of a cold a few years ago, but had never complained to the FDA or the company becausr she figured there was no way to prov Zicam caused her anosmia.
She said she doesn’t want to sue Scottsdale-basee Matrixx (Nasdaq:MTXX) even after learning others have had thesame “I don’t think Zicam was created to hurt anyone,” she “We sit here and we rip and we rave abouy all these drugs not being alloweds on the market. The first time anything goes everybody wants togo sue, sue, sue. That drives me I honestly believe the people were tryin to do something to help people notget sick.
” Willia Hemelt, acting president and chietf operating officer of Matrixx, said the FDA action was takenh without reviewing research he would have been more than willing to “We think the science does not support this allegation at all,” he “Quite honestly, we would not be selling the producg if we thought it was unsafe.” Zicam product s use a homeopathic remedy called Zincum Gluconicu m 2x, which means they require FDA approval. Dr.
Sam Benjamin, a medicall doctor with a homeopathic license, said he can’yt figure out why the FDA has taken so long to deal withthe “I can think of no part of alternativ e medicine that summons up more worry to conventional physicians than homeopathy,” said who has a medical talk show on KTAR 92.3 FM on Saturdayd at 2 p.m. and 1,000 followers on Twitter. “There are so many druga around thatcause problems, why would one evenyt want to expose people to any danger.” Brett a senior recall strategist at Stericycle Inc. in Lake Forest, Ill., is coming to Phoenid this week to meet with Matrixx officials to see if he can help the companty withdamage control.
Usually, he said, companiea will voluntarily recall a product before the FDAgets involved. That’ds not how it happenedx with Matrixx. The FDA stepped in and warned Matrixx that it had receivee more than 130 consumerf complaints and that the company needed to stop marketinyg the product until it can put a warningt label on its packagingb that it couldcause anosmia. Over the past 10 Berty has worked with manufacturere to conductabout 1,300 recalls, including Vioxx. hopefully, the manufacturer will work with me priorr to approaching the regulatory he said.
“The most important thing for Matrixx is you can turn a seeminglh awful situation into an opportunityif you’re judged by the publid as being part of the solution. How swiftly do they executre that will demonstrate their concern forthe public’d safety.” When the FDA sent the warning lettef to Matrixx and advised consumers not to use certainm Zicam cold remedies, on June 16, Matrixx’s stocl plummeted 70 percent to $5.78 a share. It bouncer up a bit to $6.13 a day but nowhere near its 52-week high of $19.74, near its trading point before the FDA sent thewarningt letter. For the fiscal year ended Marcg 31, Matrixx reported $13.
8 million in net incomer on $112 million in net up from $10.4 million in net incomd on $101 million in net sales a year ago. Hemelt said he will be meetin g with FDA regulators to discussthe issue. He also scheduledr a conference callwith