Zicam Inventor Accused of Illegally Marketing Drug

The man who invented the cold treatment gel Zicam has been arrested on federal charges for the illegal marketing of another drug during the 2005 bird flu scare.

Charles B. Hensley allegedly sold the drug Vira 38 as a “prevention and treatment” of influenza and bird flu without approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Hensley on 12 counts related to sales of Vire 38 to customers in Kansas and California. Hensley allegedly shipped 26 bottles of the drug from Hong Kong to customers in the United States. The charges carry a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, but it’s likely that Hensley will receive less time if convicted.

Hensley obtained patents for zinc-based gel Zicam in the 1990s, marketing it as a cold remedy to be swabbed inside the nose. In 2009, the FDA ordered Zicam manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives of Scottsdale, Arizona to stop making the product because it damages users’ sense of smell. Matrixx still sells various products, including lozenges, syrups, and spray, under the Zicam brand name.

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