GREAT NECK, N.Y. — Following this week’s announcement by GlaxoSmithKline that it would stop selling and making PoliGrip denture creams containing zinc, attorneys at Parker Waichman Alonso here issued a release urging all major retail chains carrying the products to remove them from their shelves.
The three varieties of PoliGrip listed in the drug company’s consumer advisory warning are: Super PoliGrip "Original," "Ultra Fresh" and "Extra Care." They represented about $14.5 million in sales in the food channel for the 52-week period ending Jan. 24, according to the latest figures from Information Resources Inc.
Long-term, excessive exposure to zinc in denture cream has been associated with neurological injuries in some individuals.
"GlaxoSmithKline made the right decision, but the fact remains that it did not go far enough," says Andres Alonso, a partner of Parker Waichman Alonso. "If GlaxoSmithKline is not willing to issue a recall of these Super PoliGrip varieties, Wal-Mart and the other retailers need to step up and protect their customers."
Parker Waichman Alonso has filed many lawsuits on behalf of the victims of Super PoliGrip. These lawsuits allege that GlaxoSmithKline misled consumers about their risks and failed to provide adequate warnings and instructions to prevent deviation from accepted use.
Dozens of denture cream zinc poisoning lawsuits have been consolidated in the Denture Cream Products Liability Multidistrict Litigation currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, before Judge Cecilia Altonaga (MDL No. 2051).
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