Stop making such unproven claims. Manufacturers’ claims that hand sanitizers can kill or prevent the spread of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli, Salmonella, and H1N1 influenza are unproven, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In April 2011, the FDA warned four hand sanitizer makers, Tec Laboratories, JD Nelson and Associates, Dr. […]
Stop making such unproven claims. Manufacturers’ claims that hand sanitizers can kill or prevent the spread of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli, Salmonella, and H1N1 influenza are unproven, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In April 2011, the FDA warned four hand sanitizer makers, Tec Laboratories, JD Nelson and Associates, Dr. G.H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co. and Oh So Clean Inc. (also known as CleanWell Company), to stop making such unproven claims.
Lawyers at our firm experienced in defective product litigation are investigating unproven hand sanitizer claims. If you purchased one of these products because you believed claims that it would kill or prevent the spread of MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, or H1N1 influenza, we would like to hear from your. Our hand sanitizer claims lawyers may be able to help you obtain compensation if you relied on any of these manufacturers’ unproven promises.
Promises that a hand sanitizer can kill or prevent the spread of MRSA are among the most common unproven claims made by hand sanitizer manufacturers. MRSA can cause severe—even life-threatening—infections that do not respond to standard treatment with the antibiotic methicillin. MRSA is often associated with patients in hospitals who have weakened immune systems, but the bacterium can also cause significant skin infections and abscesses in a normal, healthy person. In the most severe cases, MRSA can enter the blood stream, and it may involve the heart valves, which makes it extremely difficult to treat.
Some hand sanitizer manufacturers have been only too willing to take advantage of consumers’ anxiety about MRSA, and make unproven claims in their advertising that these products can kill and prevent the spread of MRSA. Some typical claims include:
In other instances, makers of hand sanitizers have claimed that their products can kill or prevent the spread of E. coli, Salmonella, and even the H1N1 flu virus. According to the FDA, all of these claims are unproven and therefore illegal. The FDA has advised consumers not to buy over-the-counter hand sanitizers or other products that claim to prevent infection from MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, flu, or other bacteria or viruses.
In April 2011, the FDA announced it was cracking down on companies that break federal law by promoting their products as preventing MRSA infections and other diseases without agency review and approval. The agency began its crackdown by issuing warning letters to four hand sanitizer manufacturers. The products subject to the FDA warnings included:
The four sanitizer companies were given 15 days to correct the violations cited in the warning letters or face legal action.
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