A judge has tossed out a unique class-action lawsuit that alleged the makers of one of Canada’s most-popular natural-health product misled customers about the remedy’s cold-fighting benefits.
Justice Janice Dillon of the Supreme Court of British Columbia refused to “certify” the suit, ruling Wednesday there was no evidence a group of people had a common grievance against the manufacturer of Cold-FX, as class-action law requires.
The suit charged that until recent years the firm claimed Cold-FX could bring “immediate relief” to cold and flu symptoms after they developed, despite a lack of evidence.
In fact, a company-funded study disclosed as part of the case found that it did no better than a placebo for that purpose.
Some scientific evidence suggests that Cold-FX helps slightly reduce the number or severity of viruses in users who take the product daily for two to six months.