Current events, General, Health, Science
Not really homeopathy, but still stinks (or not)
It’s been one heck of a month. Turkey was great - more to follow - but I already feel like I need another vacation. Too much work, too much long-distance driving, a GI bug, a ten-day course of Tamiflu for an H1N1 exposure, and a death in the family on top of all of that. I’m beat.
But then two of my readers tell me personally (the other three couldn’t be bothered, I guess) that they noticed I hadn’t updated in a while, so here I am, dragging myself back in front of the keyboard. Must…post…
Actually, today’s subject of posting is too interesting to pass up. I hold a special place in my heart for Zicam. It’s the non-homeopathic homeopathic remedy. Unlike “conventional” homeopathic remedies, which are diluted so much that you’d be lucky to get a single molecule of active ingredient in a dose, Zicam actually contains biologically active amounts of zinc. The product manages to squeak by FDA regulation, though, because the product makers finagled a “homeopathic” designation. (More on this subject from Steven Novella here.) As if it wasn’t enough to have homeopathic remedies masquerading as medicine, now you have not-so-homeopathic remedies masquerading as masquerade medicine. All yours for the low low price of $10. Oh how far we’ve fallen.
Now, as you’ve probably heard, the FDA put the kibosh down on Zicam today. Seems it could make you lose your sense of smell, permanently. Not good. Can you smell what Matrixx Initiatives (the two “x”’s mean they’re extra extra cool) is cooking next?
You guessed it! Denial! Matrixx asserts that, “There is no reliable scientific evidence that Zicam causes anosmia.” In other words, “We didn’t want to have to do that science stuff to prove safety or efficacy when we brought this junk to market, but we demand that you peform rigorous science-y experiments to take us down. Neener neener.” How’s that for a double standard? In all seriousness, this sort of post-market surveillance for adverse events is the FDA’s job. If they suspect that there are unreported side effects or adverse events cropping up, then their responsibility is to consumer safety first.
Am I passing early judgment on this? Yes. I’d be lying if I denied it. All the data should be laid out on the table, and Zicam should be given the chance to make its case. But I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t getting a great deal of schadenfreude out of today’s news. It’s very satisfying when a company that tries to get by on disingenuous practices finally gets its comeuppance.
17 Jun 2009 ekchung 0 comments


