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Airborne settles $23.3 Million placebo lawsuit

money.cnn.com — Airborne settles lawsuit for $23.3 million. The herbal supplement firm will settle class action lawsuit that alleges false advertising; money will be refunded to consumers, non-profit advocacy group says.

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  • BetterWatching, on 03/07/2008, -4/+36All cold season everyone I know had a cold and thought this was some miracle drug.
    "(cough, cough) Man this cold sucks... good thing I have airborne (sniffle)."
    Two Weeks Later---
    "(cough, cough) I think my cold is coming back... good thing I have airborne (sniffle)."
    • sockpuppets, on 03/07/2008, -2/+35DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD.

      Oh, wait...
      • Godlike, on 03/07/2008, -1/+7I am going to change my real name to Combat E. Volcano.

        I am not kidding.
    • calon9, on 03/07/2008, -2/+7Next time Airborne should learn from the big pharmas: Get some scientists willing to do trials on poor, [un]willing participants, omit certain results if necessary, then get lobbyists to spread some money and also pad your commercials with enough warnings about side-effects or ineffectiveness.
      • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+4Wait, I don't understand. Are you saying all those warnings about side-effects and ineffectiveness are part of the plan to sell more drugs? I mean, I understand that pharmaceuticals are a big business here in the U.S. so they're open to as many conspiracy theories as anything else, but really, you're saying that they put those warnings in ads to TRICK US INTO BUYING THE DRUGS? Those bastards will stop at nothing, will they?!?!
    • plarp, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7what are these placebos? and where do we get them?
    • humperdeath, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2Pharmacy in Mexico has them, thats what my brother-in-law's neighbor' son says anyways.
    • TheControversy, on 03/09/2008, -0/+0The results vary for some people, I took it without knowing fully what it claims to do, and I felt better. I take it everytime I feel like I may be getting sick or if allergies seem like they are going to act up. I've never had the product fail for me.
  • dorkino, on 03/07/2008, -2/+26My doctor advised against using Airborne because the recommended dosage is every 3-4 hours as needed. Ingesting that much of the product can potentially cause Vitamin A poisoning, especially if you are taking a multi-vitamin as well.
    • imLissy, on 03/07/2008, -0/+4I actually got sick from taking airborne. I'm little so it was probably way too much for my system to handle. I couldn't eat regular food for a week. I didn't get my mom's cold though... yay.
    • lajaw, on 03/07/2008, -4/+1I just looked at the ingredients of Airborne on the web. I didn't see any vitamin A listed, nor carotene. Does you doctor know what is in the stuff?
      • yfph, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Palmitate (5,000 IUs, unsafe in doses greater than 10,000 units a day): An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the major fatty acid found in palm oil. The palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, called retinol, to make vitamin A stable in milk. The name "palmitate" comes from the French "palmitique" from palmite, the pith of the palm tree.
      • sofa0ne, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1Not to mention that Airborne makes multiple products.
        For example = http://www.airbornehealth.com/products_pixies.php
        (see nutritional data chart )
        Apparently Airborne has also heard of problems from Vitamin A.
        http://www.airbornehealth.com/medical_questions.ph ...
    • quiggibub, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3That's how one of the guys in my old dialysis unit killed his kidneys.
  • Picaroon, on 03/07/2008, -6/+81Good. I'm so sick of Airborne.
    "It was invented by a school teacher!"
    So ***** what? I want my medicine designed by a pharmaceutical chemist. If you want some nutrients that may or may not make you better, eat some fruit and healthy food.

    Also, there's a grammatical error on the bottom of the box, which pisses me off.
    • dorkino, on 03/07/2008, -2/+34Get ANGRY grammar nazi! ANGRY!
    • sockpuppets, on 03/07/2008, -2/+12Grammar cat is grammatically disturbed.
    • murraj2, on 03/07/2008, -0/+8The grammatical error pisses you off? Think of the poor parents of the kids this teacher is teaching.
    • Godlike, on 03/07/2008, -5/+3What is the grammatical error, you little *****?
      • Picaroon, on 03/07/2008, -1/+3Since you asked so nicely, there's a comma on there that should not be there. It makes, no sense, at all, to put a comma, where, they did.
        As for how I responded in 3 minutes, it's because once I comment on Digg I sit here pressing F5 over and over and reading the comments while eating bag after bag of Doritos.
        • Godlike, on 03/07/2008, -2/+4That's pretty cool I do that at home but replace 'eating bag after bag of Doritos' with 'smoking fat blunt after fatty bluntatty shnizzlati' and you got it.
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 03/07/2008, -1/+4I remember most of my teachers. I certainly wouldn't want to ingest anything they formulated.
      "Try new Anti-Cold. It was designed by a homeless stoner living under a bridge!" Yeah, no thanks.
    • ucg1, on 03/07/2008, -3/+3I personally don't like the fact that it has Splenda (sucralose) in it. Personally I don't like having poison mixed in with my nutrients.

      Invented by a school teacher is indeed not a good thing. Most of the school teachers I know ended up in that position because they couldn't find a better job. Being a school teacher doesn't qualify you as a health expert after all.
    • humperdeath, on 03/07/2008, -2/+2Well, Airborne had worked for me at least 99% of the time. I dissolved one in water every day last year and was only sick for about 2 days all year!
      • wernst, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2But that doesn't mean *****. You might have only been sick for two days last year if you did nothing. Or bathed in donkey urine. Or did whatever. There's a reason they don't use anecdotal stories to determine how effective real medicine is.
        • humperdeath, on 03/10/2008, -0/+1donkey urine? I think you mean ass urine, because at least the ass is sterile. (that s the animal ass, for those 3rd graders out there)
      • FlyingSpaghetti, on 03/08/2008, -1/+3I placed an "anti-cold" rock on the shelf above my monitor. I haven't been sick since!
    • WNW3, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1I want my medicine designed by a Wizard! Harry Potter has all the best drugs!
  • ackbz1, on 03/07/2008, -3/+17get your refund here

    http://www.airbornehealthsettlement.com/submitClai ...
    • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+9HAHA

      "Thank you for selecting the Airborne Class Action Settlement Claim Submission."

      I am sure they are SOO thankful that I selected it.

      It looks like the site was designed by an elementary school teacher too!
      • 4Li3nwAr3, on 03/07/2008, -2/+3LOL i don't even need a proof of purchase to get my refund
      • DiggzDE, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2Only for up to 6 products. Which is good because I bought mine at my campus store, which only accepts cash. And I sure as hell didn't save the receipt.
        • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+4Who saves receipts on stuff like this anyway?
    • Picaroon, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7If I were a real *****, I would claim 6 boxes of the $10.50 seasonal variety without providing proof of purchase.
      Unfortunately, my weak conscience is just barely strong enough to keep me from taking advantage...
      • sockpuppets, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3I'm in for 6 of the seasonal variety. I bought enough of this crap to feel ok with that.
      • jeremychoi, on 03/07/2008, -1/+10i guess i'm a real *****
        • chinolofus, on 03/07/2008, -2/+1same here. i never tried the stuff but im getting a nice refund.
      • mywhitenoise, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2Consider me a real ***** as well.
    • sockpuppets, on 03/07/2008, -1/+7I'm filling mine out in crayon.
      • IllBeBack, on 03/07/2008, -0/+12Then your refund will come back in Monopoly money.
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1In for 6... I know my crazy wife have bought a ton of the CRAP! I'd be nice to re-coup so of the losses.
    • axisds, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1Given that the majority of people will probably never claim there refund. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it.
  • stavrogin2, on 03/07/2008, -2/+52It didn't cure my cold, but it made my penis bigger.
    • joshhan, on 03/07/2008, -0/+5That was one of the *ahem* unintended side effects. Sucks to be a woman tho...
    • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Hence the lawsuit...
  • chrissku, on 03/07/2008, -1/+7The only way to avoid a cold is by locking yourself in a plastic bubble. Then you don't have to worry about catching a cold.
    • Ajajadude, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Unless the cold virus gets into the bubble before you seal it.
    • IllBeBack, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3The only problem with that is that if you ever do come out of the bubble, you'll die because you haven't built up any immunity to anything.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7Come...out of the bubble? Why would I ever want to do that?
    • ceruleanocte, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1... or a girlfriend
    • KingGorilla, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1You can also completely digitize your brain and upload it to a robot
  • zjbird, on 03/07/2008, -1/+10Really..? Couldn't afford the vitamin C for your product?
  • 4degrees, on 03/07/2008, -2/+24ive been telling people that this thing was BS for ever. good to see this kind of crap exposed. This country does not need anymore help becoming hypochondriac.
    • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Don't tell me that or it won't work!!!
    • WilliamDavis, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1No kidding. Just watching regular tv will make you a hypochondriac these days.
  • transeth, on 03/07/2008, -0/+5damn i was sure those things cured hang overs
    • VSLOATHE, on 03/07/2008, -0/+11No, that's bacon and gatorade that you're thinking of.
    • raclan, on 03/07/2008, -3/+1just because the lawyers decided their study wasn't good enough for them to claim what they claimed doesn't mean it doesn't work. it does work.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Yeah, what study are you basing that conclusion on?
        "Damn you and your facts! I want to BELIEVE!!!"
      • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1I'm usually pretty honest with myself about these things and generally very skeptical about gimmicky products like this... I don't claim to have any medical background. I have to say that I am still convinced that it does help.... even for hangovers. Vitamins are vitamins, they help your body do the ***** it needs to do, including fighting the cold.
  • YodaJones, on 03/07/2008, -2/+9This is funny. I know some people who swear by this stuff. I wonder what they are going to say now...
    Placebo, works better than medicine.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+5That's the funny thing about placebo, medicine and health in general. We know that a placebo can't actually "cure" a disease, so does that mean that your body's natural defenses work "harder" when you think you're being aided by medicine? Or does it mean that the disease you thought you had wasn't really what you had at all.

      Anyway, you're right... in some circumstances placebo does work better than medicine. Most of the time though, I'd go with the medicine.

      Still, it's interesting to see what we still have to learn about the way the body work.
    • pbeternal99, on 03/07/2008, -5/+2It is actually quite possible that many of the ingredients in Airborne can make you feel better. I've been reading for years how beneficial vitamin c is to your overall health and in helping fight colds. So just for the vitamin c alone its good. Plus most all of the other ingredients have been shown to help your health. I think the lawsuit was more about specifics and how they conducted their tests. Any product claiming to cure a cold is asking for trouble.
      • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -2/+3Vitamin C is beneficial to your overall health. It's role in helping to fight colds is constantly overstated, though. The effect of vitamin C on colds is pretty minimal, and in most people, seemingly non-existent.
        http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ ...
      • DCGUY12, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1If you were vitamin C deficient, then making sure you have enough vitamin C is definitely a good thing for overall health. However, "boosting your immune system" is a claim that doesn't really amount to anything as the immune system isn't a muscle that can just be flexed by taking more vitamin C.
  • brbubba, on 03/07/2008, -3/+4Wow, I am completely for herbal supplements, however, having two laypeople conduct a scientific study is outrageous. There goes my sympathy down the toilet.
  • boot20, on 03/07/2008, -3/+21Airborne works just as well as drinking OJ or sipping hot tea. It's all about drinking plenty of fluids and getting metric butt tons of Vitamin C.
    • usrlocalbin, on 03/07/2008, -0/+13Dugg for 'metric butt tons'.
      • meruru, on 03/07/2008, -0/+6Buried; butt tons is clearly an imperial measurement.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7Actually I believe a metric butt ton of vitamin C would probably kill you. I believe the LD50 on vitamin c is something like 1/50th of a metric butt ton. But I always mess up on the metric/standard conversion.
    • IllBeBack, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1Ingesting vitamin C after you have come down with the cold will do nothing. You need it before you catch the cold to assist in preventing coming down with it in the first place.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3And studies show that additional vitamin C supplements may not do anything to help prevent colds either. You most likely get enough vitamin C with your normal diet...unless you consume Cheetos and Coke all day, then yeah, take a supplement.
      • Ajenthavoc, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2“A review of 30 studies … revealed a reduction of a little less than half a symptom day per cold episode, representing an 8% to 9% reduction in symptom days”
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10796569
        Similar results for preventative and therapeutic groups.
        Also says "Vitamin C in doses as high as one gram daily for several winter months, had no consistent beneficial effect on incidence of the common cold."
    • buddyw, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1"Or a big fat placebo. It's all the same crap."
    • DCGUY12, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1If you were vitamin C deficient, then making sure you have enough vitamin C is definitely a good thing for overall health. However, "boosting your immune system" is a claim that doesn't really amount to anything as the immune system isn't a muscle that can just be flexed by taking more vitamin C.
    • gtirebuyer, on 03/08/2008, -0/+2How do I convert metric butt tons to the imperial system?
  • thatfunman, on 03/07/2008, -13/+2Remember people, this is CNN...CNN reporting the news. With that written..I wonder who donates to the The Center for Science in the Public Interest,.....link please? Lot's of stuff is missing from this report.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -1/+9Looks like we have our first Airborne defender here! Go get some scientology pals and you can tell us how vitamins are really all we need to defeat all diseases! Hurry! You know we'll get all glassy-eyed and just nod in agreement with whatever those quacks with their strenuous double-blind repeatable university experiments tell us! SAVE US FROM SCIENCE!
      • thatfunman, on 03/07/2008, -3/+1I digged your post, but not for the content rather for your excellent sarcasm. Please spare me from your scientology rants because anyone who checks your profile and reads your past comments shows mostly negativity and skepticism. Seeing how often you posted here, you really liked this article and I'm sure you even dugg it. Good day sir!
        • DrMonkeyLove, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Yes, damn jordanday for his logic and healthy skepticism! Damn him for his facts and "science"!
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7WOOOOOOOO! (JUMPING ON oPRAHS CROTCH)
    • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2That's funny, I didn't even see a report in that news article. Are they supposed to do that now? Should I demand a report from every news article that is run?
    • quiggibub, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1The news article that says a company is settling for false advertising is missing information? I might be mistaken, but the article doesn't say "Airborne works no better than placebo, study finds". If it did say that, then I'd expect some numbers with the method of producing those numbers listed.
  • Number23, on 03/07/2008, -2/+19People would eat dog ***** if it was labeled “Homeopathic” or “Organic”.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7I think you just discovered Head-On's newest product: *****-On! Apply directly to the gaping hole in your skull where your brain would be if you weren't the kind of person who buys Head-On!
      • junolynn, on 03/07/2008, -2/+5I can't stand their commercials, but their product is amazing.
        • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3what is it supposed to do again? I mean, because of the commercials I know where to put it - and thank GOD for that, cuz it looks like it could be a suppository. But as to its purpose - I am at a loss.
        • KingGorilla, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2I hate their product but I love their commercials
    • abeg, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1you haven't heard of "hierba sin raíz" or the rootless herb?
    • WilliamDavis, on 03/08/2008, -0/+2Dog ***** is organic, so you may jave just discovered an interesting market there.
  • jeremychoi, on 03/07/2008, -2/+7caveat emptor, anyone?
  • bullcutter, on 03/07/2008, -8/+30Airborne is not a placebo, its just a bunch of fizzy vitamins that are known to be involved with the immune system.

    That word was added to the title to make the story seem more interesting, however, it also makes it completely untrue. A placebo is an "inert" ingredient, vitamins are not. Buried as inaccurate.
    • boing11, on 03/07/2008, -3/+4I don't entirely agree with your statement. In clinical studies, a placebo is used to test whether or not patients can "trick" themselves into thinking the sample they took had a beneficial effect. When compared to actual medicine that has been tested and approved by the FDA, I think Airborne does match a loose definition of a placebo.
      • bullcutter, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3No, a vitamin is never a placebo, unless you are a doctor and your hyperchondriac patient demands you give them something.

        A vitamin can have the same net effect as a placebo, but you cannot thereby say a vitamin IS a placebo. Vitamins are required by the human body to sustain life, placebos are not.
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -4/+2REALLY? Cause recent studies have shown certain vitamins to be exactly that... useless and at best results were inconclusive.
      http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/vitam ...
      • bullcutter, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3nevertheless, your body requires vitamins to function.
      • DiggerUpper, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1Yeah, try not taking in any vitamins from any source for a week.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -1/+5I'm going to agree with boing11. If Airborne was marketed as a general multivitamin that aids your overall health, then no, calling it a placebo would probably be incorrect. Since it's marketed as a general multivitamin that "cures what ails you" (which it doesn't), it would be more generally considered a placebo. I think this may be a case of "dictionary definition vs. common definition."
      • bullcutter, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1You're right in that they messed up when coming up with slogans. They shuldna done that. However, a Vitamin cannot be a placebo. Its never used as one (usually its a sugar pill).
  • xatx2, on 03/07/2008, -6/+5good. i hope she pays big time. deceptive bitch.
  • danieldantastic, on 03/07/2008, -0/+7Airborne also makes me fart. Can I get paid for that too?
    • inigomntoya, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2No, because you enjoy the smell. The rest of us, however, are settling for mounds of cash and a lifetime supply of canned oxygen.
  • FelixdaaHack, on 03/07/2008, -1/+8Hope that school teacher who claimed to have invented it didn't spend all of her money yet HAhahahah!
  • adamcarrington, on 03/07/2008, -1/+6Snake oil!!!
  • bingbang, on 03/07/2008, -2/+2yay gettin my money back
  • zspeed78, on 03/07/2008, -4/+8So now were going to say that taking Vitamin C and B12, B6 and others, has no value at all? They may have overstated its success, but I hope no one actually thinks that the Vitamins in Airborne are worthless. Maybe they made more money per gram than standard vitamins, but whatever, thats marketing.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -1/+6"That's marketing."
      No, that's deception. If you go buy a centrum or a nature-made vitamin, the bottle may say "Boosts natural immunity..." and such, but they don't claim that those vitamins cure diseases like colds.
      We get lots of diseases from lacking certain vitamins, like scurvy. However, those same vitamins aren't going to cure any disease that doesn't occur from lack of said vitamins. A flu is not scurvy. Colds are not scurvy. Cancer is not scurvy. Why anyone thinks that vitamin C will cure those is generally due to quackery and deceptive marketing. Vitamins can make you a lot healthier, but they're not going to cure any diseases that aren't actually related to their deficiency in your body.
      • fohf, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1Have you looked at the airborne packaging? I have a box right in front of me right now and no where does it say it cures anything.

        It does say it "boosts your immunity" but at the end of the statement is the asterick leading to a disclaimer at the bottom stating: "This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

        So... where did it deceive? I think most people who drank the stuff understood that it was just a vitamin and nothing else.
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2NO, and B-12 and B-6.... aren't marketed as preventing the damned flu.
    • Ellipsys, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1Honestly, I thought it was marketed to help prevent jet lag (which any vitamins and proper hydration will do), not the common cold.
  • KnightMareInc, on 03/07/2008, -2/+6but it was invented by a teacher!!!
  • boredsam, on 03/07/2008, -3/+7EVERYTHING that has the word "herbal" or "natural remedy" anywhere in the description is not regulated by the FDA and is thus a "buyer-beware" (AKA *****) product.
    • danielsan1701, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3The problem is not with the ingredients or the effectiveness, it's with the faked/lied-about clinical trials.
      • junolynn, on 03/07/2008, -3/+2Not everything herbal or natural is *****. Calm down.
      • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1I think there is a problem with the effectiveness... since it, ahem, isn't effective.
  • raclan, on 03/07/2008, -10/+2The lawsuit is about claiming something that the lawyers and Md's feel is not substantiated, has nothing to do with how well airborne works. AIRBORNE WORKS!!!! it is probably the best thing out there to prevent sickness, but it doesn't work all of the time, neither does an umbrella in a downpour. Don't confuse legal matters and medical studies as truths, they are all manipulations, often aimed at steering people away from alternative non prescription medical care. There is not as much money in non pharmaceutical non western care.
    • junolynn, on 03/07/2008, -3/+3I was gonna say.. I tried Airborne once and it did work, so this news is pretty crazy.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2The same way there isn't as much money selling cars powered by positive energy and happy thoughts? No one ever buys happy thought-powered cars because we've been convinced by the evil oil industry that they don't work as well as oil-fueled vehicles. The bastards!

      Or, maybe no one buys happy thought-powered cars because they don't actually work. The only difference here is that folks' credulity threshold seems to be much higher in the medicine arena, probably because it's complicated enough that even real medicine seems like magic to a lot of people.
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+4Really? What did it work on?
      My wife'll say "everyone around me is sick and I take airbourne and I didn't get sick"... Maybe the fact that you know everyone around you is sick causes you to not pick your nose so much, or lick doorknobs so much? Did it reverse a cold? how do you know it was a cold? were you tested for rhinovirus?
      IT IS A PLACEBO, NOTHING MORE!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Rivetgeek, on 03/07/2008, -0/+4Try drinking a glass of water a day but instead of airborne, stick ice in there. See how well you do. Bet you it's the same thing.
    • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1I feel like it's worked for me a number of times- I've felt myself starting to get sick, (scratchy throat, runny nose etc), taken airborne and been fine.... If it's a placebo effect then ***** y'all for ruining the dellusion for us. It worked for me well and good 'till you non-believers came along!
  • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+3I want them to go after walgreens, wal-mart, target, CVS, kroger...etc... anyone who made a "generic" version of this crap.
    At my local walgreens pharmacy they have a stand selling "wal-born" or some crap name like that... I asked the pharmacist why he was selling this crap. I then asked him where is the healing radium water and which brand of cigarettes would cure my sore knee. I am so glad to see the "a teacher developed this *****", ***** take a beating, now they need to go after the retailers. buncha damned Dicks..
    • Takfam, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1At least the retailers sell it for half the price of Airborne. $3 for a tube of Equaline Air Protector (Albertson's) $7 for a tube of Airborne.
    • jordanday, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3I'd like to know what the pharmacist told you. Most credible pharmacists would agree that it was no better than any other multivitamin. Unfortunately, like most businesses, the people making the decisions for Walgreens and CVS stores (the store part, not the actual pharmacy part) are people with business degrees and not people with actual medical training. I mean, at least they can say that airborne is a multivitamin so it was probably good for you. Hopefully none of them actually tried to sell it as a "cure."
      • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1Oh he said that Walgreen's wouldn't put their name on it if it weren't of some nutritive value. THAT'S what lead me to the other comments. I am suprised he didn't go and get a memo for their corporate office.
    • ahhell, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1Haha. Sucker.
  • Arcueid01, on 03/07/2008, -1/+4Fraudulent Misrepresentation is a bitch. It isn't whether or not the thing works guys this has to do with law. They broke the law and now they pay. Simple as that. Don't bash the law if you don't understand it.
  • NuclearTomorrow, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2Has anyone ever done a study on Zicam?? I here people praising that stuff all the time too...
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2Zicam actually has been studied...
      it works by causing a massive histimine response in the nasal passageways. an no you won't find that ANYWHERE in writing. but I assure you that's what it does. Kinda like snorting pepper to cause your nose to purge itself.
      • tsuga, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3There's also a lawsuit against Zicam, for causing the unwanted side effect of destroyed sense of smell and taste.
      • Ellipsys, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1What about the Zicam that's oral, not nasal?
        • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1I am only familiar with the nasal gel form....
  • drewniverse, on 03/07/2008, -1/+7haha!
    I've never even bought the stuff, but I'm still getting a $63 check in the mail!

    Blow me, airbourne
    • dorkino, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1You won't see it. As is the case with every class-action lawsuit, the lawyers will litigate it until all the refund money has been placed into their own pockets. We'll prob. see a check for 35 cents.
      • mailman-zero, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1I thought the same thing until I got almost $700 from a class action lawsuit. It paid for my Wii and accessories.
  • geneticlemon, on 03/07/2008, -0/+4Whoever thought Airbourne was a "cold cure all" is a complete dumb ***** ... it says clearly on the bottle that it's an herbal supplement, not to mention the instructions tell you to take it as a preventative measure. It's not like Dayquil of Robitussin (sp?), where it suppresses your symptoms, it's just supposed to make you feel a little better so you're not completely miserable during your illness. But, yeah, just go drink a bunch of orange juice and take some chewable vitamin C tablets next time ...
  • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -1/+3I should market "PLACEBO"... Developed by a retarded, unemployed Digger... "so you know it must work"!!!!
  • jozb, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2Anybody wants free samples? http://www.airbornehealth.com/promotions_index.php
  • Shanich, on 03/07/2008, -2/+1 This is clearly a hit by the NWO neo-con dark entities that want to eliminate 80% of the worlds population and make lots of money with there pharmaceutical and health care cartels . There are lots of natural ways to boost your immune system and give you energy this is one of them , it works to help boost your immune system its not a cure all , you have to take care of the mind body and spirit to avoid illness , and then you may have karma or a pre life contract that called for a certain illness for your spiritual growth . Use your own intuitiveness my brothers and sisters . Peace .
    • Ellipsys, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1Shan - you're going to be dug down for sounding like a hippie alterna-medicine quack to most diggers. However, I should let you know that Airborne includes Splenda (sucralose), which is one of those poisonous sweeteners. I wouldn't be recommending it to people. Regular vitamins and herbs are one thing, but this clearly has a "bad" ingredient.
  • quiggibub, on 03/07/2008, -0/+3Vitamins are only co-enzymes. They help your body's enzymes to their job more effeciently. Some are more necessary than others. Taking vitamins will help tissues do their job better, but they won't turn your immune system into a mass germ killing machine. Your body can only utilize so much of certain vitamins, so loading up on them past about 150% the USDA daily dose won't be of much use. Except for vitamin D, but that's actually a hormone.
  • nullcodes, on 03/07/2008, -2/+3It's the purchaser's fault. Drug companies do clinical trials, safety checks, all that to bring a new drug to market. The Airborne packaging makes no claim that it has been through the FDA approval process and/or shown proven efficacy. Drug companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars to gain FDA approval.

    Why did people buy it? It's ridiculous that people sued Airborne. Airborne did not even try to say that their products have been scientifically validated in peer reviewed literature. If you bought Airborne, you did it because you put your faith in "herbal" BS and deliberately chose to ignore the fact that it was not scientifically validated. Many drugs, such as the common decongestant pseduoephedrine (origin from ephedra a chinese herb), apriin (origin willow bark), morphene etc. did originate in plants. These were found and proven to be effective via the scientific method. However the stuff so called "herbalists" tout nowadays have not been scientifically validated. If it were, they would be commonplace, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer would be selling it and doctors would be prescribing it. They sell aspriin don't they?

    Unless we're dealing with a terminal case where are no other alternatives, nobody but a fool would buy anything without scientific proof that the active ingredients have efficacy.
    • leamanc, on 03/08/2008, -0/+0Airborne is not a drug. It is an herbal supplement, and sold as such. It is not evaluated by the FDA, as stated on the package. Where they got in trouble was saying it could prevent a cold for "up to 3 hours" after each dose.
  • bffoley, on 03/07/2008, -2/+3People at my office took this ***** every winter. I'd point out to them that there wasn't anything in there that was a cold cure, and were at best things that boosted your immune system if you took them over time. I'd also point out that Airborne was not FDA approved and hasnt been tested by anyone outside of the Airborne company itself.

    Then they'd roll their eyes and wink at each other, because I obviously didn't "get it" about their wondrous miracle drug.
    • Sharky35, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1WHAT ARE YOUR CRIMES?
    • agimat, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2[ Then they'd roll their eyes and wink at each other ]
      Somehow I don't think being proven right will change your luck with the ladies in that office.
      • bffoley, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1What an intelligent, relevant and mature comment! Thank you for replying!
    • CharlesMay, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1No ***** sherlock, there is no cure for the common cold. Did you go to college to figure that one out. However, there are Vitamins and other Natural Herbs that will help fight the symptoms. After all that is what we are trying to do isn't it? Get rid of the symptoms. If the virus didn't cause us to feel the way we do we wouldn't worry about it. Oh, and by the way, since you know so much about ingredients that can't CURE a cold, why don't you list the ingredients that can.

      That's what I thought
  • DCGUY12, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2If you were vitamin C deficient, then making sure you have enough vitamin C is definitely a good thing for overall health. However, "boosting your immune system" is a claim that doesn't really amount to anything as the immune system isn't a muscle that can just be flexed by taking more vitamin C.
  • digitallysick, on 03/07/2008, -0/+1Head on! Apply directly to the forehead! , That is much worse an airborne, lets sue them to because the commercials are annoying.
    • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1I apply it directly to the mute button.... that seems to work pretty well.
  • izackcarson, on 03/07/2008, -3/+4airborne absolutely does help. it won't cure you, but it definitely helps a lot. i would imagine it helps some people more than others, as all drugs work differently on different people. don't let big pharma convince you otherwise.
    • CharlesMay, on 03/08/2008, -1/+1You need to be dugg up by about 10,000 people. This is exactly what the problem is. The FDA and numerous other people are not getting their cut of the profits so it's time to shut them down or punish them for not going through the proper "chain of back-scratchers"
  • jetblackz4, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1I got 42 bux coming my way.
    Viva justice !!!
  • Zervas, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1what I'd like to know is if their placebo works better than a pill placebo. I'm sure airborne doesn't "work". But if the plop plop fizz fizz generates more of a placebo affect than a pill placebo the product still has some merit.
  • orbitron, on 03/07/2008, -0/+0about time. always irked me that airborne was hella pricey...its just effervescent vitamin C for sake.
  • in2thel2ain, on 03/07/2008, -1/+1The thing is, this would work for SOME ppl...just like a placebo.

    But how do you market a placebo drug without saying it's a placebo?
  • KingGorilla, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2Dogbert: "this'll cure you immediately"
    Dilbert: "really! What is it?"
    Dogbert: "a placebo"
    Dilbert: "a placebo? Now that you've told me its a placebo, its not gonna work."
    Dogbert: "it will if you think it will"
    Dilbert: "BUT I ALREADY KNOW ITS A PLACEBO"
    Dogbert: "maybe it isn't"
    Dilbert: "YOU JUST SAID IT WAS"
    Dogbert: "that’s precisely the power of the placebo"
  • VeganG, on 03/07/2008, -0/+2But... but... it was invented by a school teacher!!!!
  • terrible0ne, on 03/07/2008, -1/+2i can see why people get so upset. god forbid someone try to put together a supplement that boosts your body's natural defenses. This organization is obviously supported by the pharmaceutical companies. They do not like competition. I use airborne at the first sign of a cold and so far its proven successful every time. maybe im just lucky.
    • ericmac, on 03/08/2008, -0/+0The problem with the comments on this story is that I really can't tell the sarcastic ones from those that are just statistics- and biology- impaired.
      However... to address the genuine concerns, if any, I think the settlement should be challenged. Instead of having them refund product cost, plaintiffs should be able to claim actual damages for any instance where someone took Airborne and got sick. Missed a couple days of work? Here's your lost wages. Vacation ruined? Have a new one, on us!
      Problem solved. Although lawyers will take all the money anyway. Normally that bothers me, but people who spent money on this product need to learn a lesson anyway.
    • CharlesMay, on 03/08/2008, -1/+1I agree. I use the stuff when I start to get the groggy feeling and 9 times out of 10 it works for me.

      I responded to an lady the other day that wanted the site for the reimbursement because she had been buying these for the past 5 year and is upset that they are now saying they don't work. She actually called them Snake Oil. I asked her if she was just posting to show her stupidity or what. WHY would you continue to purchase something for 5 years unless you were happy with it. Especially for the cost of bottle.?
  • liuite, on 03/08/2008, -1/+2nasal irrigation and steam will work better than Airborne or any supplement. all too often we catch a cold because our nasal membrane is too dry.
  • WhiteRaven, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1Wow, this is kind of cool. The radio network I worked for advertised this crap for years and years. The commercials themselves were horrible, annoying crap and I always more or less assumed the product was no better.

    Makes me wonder just how badly ORECK vacuums suck... they was another staple of that looser network.
    • mailman-zero, on 03/08/2008, -0/+1Looser than what? The "tight" network?
  • shanebroughton, on 03/08/2008, -2/+0I like Airborne, it does certainly help me during cold season. When all of my work colleagues are out of commission I'll still feel fine. Airborne may be guilty of misleading advertising, but the supplement does help.
  • TTrav61, on 03/08/2008, -0/+2anyone who was dumb enough to think that taking a few vitamins created by a school teacher will cure your cold clearly has no understanding of medicine and does not deserve their money back.
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