64 Plaintiffs Claim Nasal Gel Caused Reduced Sense of Smell

PHOENIX - Sixty-four plaintiffs throughout the country have filed a joinder suit against Matrixx Initiatives, claiming that their use of Zicam, an over-the-counter cold remedy, resulted in a reduction or loss of their sense of smell. Abramsen, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, et al. No. CV2004-004415 (Ariz. Super. Ct., Maricopa Cty.).

In the March 8 complaint, Janara J. Abramsen and co-plaintiffs complain that Matrixx never warned consumers about the risk of anosmia, the absence or impairment of the sense of smell, although scientific literature has shown that the application of the product's active ingredient, zinc, can cause this adverse event.