A high-profile Canadian law firm has filed suit against the makers of PoliGrip and Fixodent, alleging that the companies failed to warn consumers sufficiently about the zinc contained in both products.
The suit, filed by Tony Merchant of Saskatchewan, is the latest consequence of a 2008 article in the magazine Neurology linking denture cream and serious nerve damage.
In a press release, Merchant acknowledged that the "companies have placed warnings and recognize the dangers." Still, Merchant says, those warnings failed to warn consumers adequately of the risks inherent in excessive zinc consumption.
PoliGrip manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has moved aggressively in the past year to address the zinc issue. Last October, the company began outfitting PoliGrip packages with warnings that excessive zinc intake can cause "serious health effects," and advised customers to talk with their doctors.
Proctor and Gamble, which makes Fixodent, provided similar warnings.
