The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP
By the time FDA determines a supplement contains a drug...perhaps millions of people may have been exposed to the risk of serious adverse reactions...
Irvine, CA (PRWEB) October 16, 2013
A recent study published in the Journal of Drug Testing and Analysis reported the detection of significant amounts of a “designer drug” in Craze, a “pre-workout supplement widely marketed by large retailers such as GNC and on the Internet.” This study was published online October 14, 2013. The designer drug is said to be chemically similar to methamphetamine.
By law, dietary supplement ingredients are limited to naturally occurring, non-drug substances such as herbs. Supplements that contain drugs are considered “adulterated” and are illegal under federal and most state laws.
According to products liability attorney Thomas M. Moore of The Senators (Ret.) Firm in Irvine, California, there is an enormous health threat posed by so-called natural dietary supplements, some of which may contain a variety of synthetic drugs.
Some of the synthetic drugs found in these dietary supplements include substances similar to Viagra and amphetamines, as well as anabolic steroids. Moore, whose law firm offers representation for dietary supplement cases, noted that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t have the authority to require premarket testing of supplements by manufacturers and lacks the resources to routinely test such products in-house.
“By the time FDA determines a supplement contains a drug, thousands, perhaps millions of people may have been exposed to the risk of serious adverse reactions,” said Moore, who currently represents a 25-year old man from Virginia who, according to court documents, had to undergo a liver and kidney transplant after he ingested Epio-Plex, a dietary supplement that was allegedly adulterated with anabolic steroids. (Lineberger v. Max Muscle, Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2010-00423797-CU-PL-CXC) The retailers in the case settled for just under $3 million. The case is still ongoing against the supplement manufacturer.
Moore’s advice to consumers? “First and foremost, understand that these products are not approved by the FDA and may contain unlabeled ingredients, including drugs,” said Moore, who also recommends that consumers check with their doctors before taking any dietary supplement.