Super Poligrip, an adhesive denture cream produced by GSK Consumer Healthcare, has been the subject of multiple lawsuits in the past. These lawsuits were brought by individuals who claimed that prolonged use of the product resulted in adverse health effects, including nerve damage and iron deficiency anemia. This post will look back no these very successful lawsuits. To be clear, we are not taking these lawsuits in 2023. But there is a strong interest in how previous successful MDLs have played out so we are providing this information here. Some of this – most of this – is fresh content but some was pulled for 15 years ago.
Denture Cream Lawsuits
The history of denture cream lawsuits dates back to the late 2000s, when individuals who had used denture creams, including Super Poligrip, for an extended period of time began to experience adverse health effects, including nerve damage and iron-deficiency anemia. This prompted a number of class action lawsuits to be filed against the manufacturers of denture creams, including GSK Consumer Healthcare, the maker of Super Poligrip.
In these lawsuits, plaintiffs claimed that the zinc in the creams caused nerve damage and anemia due to excessive zinc absorption. The lawsuits further alleged that the manufacturers failed to adequately warn consumers about the potential risks associated with long-term use of the creams.
So GSK has faced a number of class action lawsuits elated to the safety and effectiveness of Super Poligrip and other denture creams. In some cases, plaintiffs claimed that the zinc in the creams caused nerve damage, while in others they claimed that the creams caused anemia due to excessive zinc absorption.
In response to these lawsuits, GSK has issued warnings and changes to the labeling of its denture creams, including Super Poligrip, to advise consumers of the potential risks associated with long-term use and to provide information on proper usage. In addition, GSK has agreed to settle certain lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, brought against the company for a lot of money.
Denture Cream Class Action MDL
The history of the denture cream multidistrict litigation (MDL) refers to a legal proceeding that consolidated multiple individual lawsuits related to the safety and effectiveness of denture creams, including Super Poligrip, into a single case for pre-trial proceedings.
MDLs are often used when there are a large number of lawsuits that involve similar factual and legal issues, such as those related to denture creams. The purpose of an MDL is to streamline the litigation process and avoid duplicative discovery and other pre-trial proceedings.
In the denture cream MDL, the lawsuits were consolidated before a single judge in the Southern District of Florida. The proceedings included evidence and expert testimony related to the potential health risks associated with long-term use of denture creams, including Super Poligrip, and the manufacturers’ warnings and labeling practices.
It’s important to note that the MDL proceedings did not result in a final resolution of the individual lawsuits. Rather, the MDL was used to efficiently manage the pre-trial proceedings, with the individual lawsuits being returned to their original venues for trial or settlement.
Warning Change
The manufacturers of Super Poligrip, the zinc-containing denture adhesive that can cause numbness, decrease in strength, tingling, balance problems, and other issues, have updated its product with a new warning.
Now, consumers are warned that the denture adhesive contains zinc and that they should talk with their doctor if they are taking zinc supplements because of the potential for zinc-toxicity. It also warns that excessive amounts of Poligrip can cause serious health effects.
Finally, diagrams are included detailing proper use, and the labeling informs consumers about how long a tube should last. This is a good step forward. The problem with the adhesive up to now has been that many consumers with ill-fitting dentures use prodigious amounts of adhesive, causing extensive neurological injuries. These warnings may go a long way to prevent further problems.
However, the instructions and warnings on the website could go a little further. Here’s a link to the existing instructions. The site says to use a small amount for the first use, then apply more if needed (which can be confusing). Also, there is no warning about the dangers of using excessive amounts, or the potential injuries, on the website. And a search of Poligrip’s website for the word “zinc” revealed no hits. That’s not good. But it was good enough to end this litigation.
For more on Super Poligrip lawsuits and other denture adhesives (including Fixodent) other postings of our blog.
Denture Cream Settlement Amounts
The amount of the denture cream settlements varied, depending on the specific case and the terms of the settlement agreement. In some instances, the settlements were confidential, so the exact amount was not disclosed to the public.
In general, the settlements in denture cream lawsuits have ranged from millions of dollars to ten million dollars.
Denture Cream Lawsuits in 2023
Our firm is not handling denture cream lawsuitws in 2023 and we are unaware of any firms that are.