| BorisVM |
Bechler's Widow Sues Makers of Ephedra
BALTIMORE - The widow of Baltimore Orioles (news) pitcher Steve Bechler has sued the manufacturer and the distributor of a dietary supplement containing ephedra for $600 million.
The 23-year-old Bechler was taking the supplement to lose weight at the start of spring training when he collapsed Feb. 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. His body temperature rose to more than 108 degrees and he died the next day. A bottle of Xenadrine RFA-1 was found in Bechler's locker.
Toxicology tests confirmed "significant amounts" of an over-the-counter supplement containing ephedra led to Bechler's heatstroke, along with other factors, the medical examiner said.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Kiley Bechler in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, also seeks a ban on the sale of ephedra-based products.
"It's a simple case of corporate and personal greed being placed ahead of consumer safety and the public welfare," said her attorney, David Meiselman.
The lawsuit names Manasquan, N.J.-based Cytodyne Technologies and its president, Robert Chinery, and Hicksville, N.Y.-based manufacturer Phoenix Laboratories. Receptionists who answered phones Thursday at both businesses said no one was immediately available to comment.
A receptionist who answered the phone Thursday at Cytodyne said no one was immediately available to comment.
In the past, Cytodyne has criticized Meiselman for blaming the company, saying Bechler had a history of heat-related illnesses.
Ephedra products are marketed in drug stores, convenience stores and gyms as a weight-loss and energy miracle pill made from natural herbs, but the Food and Drug Administration has said the drug is blamed for nearly 120 deaths nationwide
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| BorisVM |
FACT #1: Ephedra (Ma Huang) is an herbal ingredient found in dietary supplements. Dietary supplements containing Ephedra include ephedrine alkaloids, which are complex combinations of nitrogen and oxygen.
FACT #2: Based on surveys conducted in 1999, between 12 and 17 million Americans consume more than three billion servings of Ephedra products every year.
FACT #3: Existing data---from consumption patterns to clinical research--- establish that Ephedra is safe and effective when used as directed. Clinical studies are accepted as the gold standard for establishing safety and benefits.
FACT #4: The only indication of side effects comes from a small number of adverse event reports (AERs), which even critics of Ephedra concede do not provide scientific proof that Ephedra causes adverse events. A conservative risk assessment based by Cantox Health Sciences International shows that Ephedra is safe when taken as directed.
FACT #5: For years, Ephedra manufacturers have urged the Food and Drug Administration to mandate consumer labeling and manufacturing safeguards to reduce the risk of consumer misuse. The FDA response has been to do nothing, thereby leaving behind a cloud of confusion and doubt about Ephedra products.
FACT #6: With obesity reaching epidemic levels in our nation, weight-loss products like Ephedra have never been more valued by consumers or needed to combat the public health costs associated with weight-related health problems
Source: http://www.ephedrafacts.com/thefacts.html |