CoQ10 Marketing Claims Under Legal Scrutiny

CoQ10 Marketing Claims Under Legal Scrutiny

By Robert J. Boumis

CoQ10 is a new force in alternative medicine. Given the huge market for the supplement, some companies have tried to distinguish their particular brand of CoQ10 supplements with claims that their product works better than competitors’. However, in some cases, these claims have not been verified.

CoQ10 is the trade name of Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, and coenzyme Q. It is a catalyst that helps break down free radicals, making it an antioxidant. Free radical damage has been implicated in the aging process. Additionally, the coenzyme plays a role in the electron-transport chain, the process that all human cells use to produce energy.

The discovery of Coenzyme 10 led to several breakthroughs in the way cellular metabolism is understood, and at least one Nobel Prize. The coenzyme is present in all cells, and concentrated in the mitochondria. However, people produce less and less CoQ10 as the age.

Some fitness experts and alternative medicine practitioners advocate its use, either to shorten recovery times from exercise or to slow the aging process. Researchers are exploring the role of the antioxidant in treating a number of diseases. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate the claims of alternative medicine products, they are performing clinical trials of CoQ10 as a possible drug for the treatment of several diseases and disorders.

CoQ10 Supplement Wars

CoQ10 is the fourth-best-selling dietary supplement in the United States, after fish oil, multivitamins, and vitamin D. The supplement has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the alternative medicine industry.

Since patent law works differently for dietary supplements than for drugs, many different companies are selling CoQ10 supplements and are in direct competition with each other.

Given the huge market for the drug, some manufacturers have made a claim that their particular supplements offer superior absorption, making it easier for the body to use the coenzyme. Such a claim is designed to make people more likely to purchase a particular brand of CoQ10 supplements over competing brands of the supplement. However, this is a claim that may not hold up in laboratory tests.

CoQ10 Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of pursuing legal action against some of the manufacturers of some brands of generic CoQ10 supplements. Such a lawsuit could allege that manufacturers made false claims about improved absorption of their products.

Many of the claims of improved CoQ10 absorption can be tested and verified – or debunked. If a product makes false claims, there could be cause for legal action against the manufacturers who stated superior absorption.

If you have purchased store brand or generic CoQ10 generic supplements that claimed superior absorption to competitors’ supplements, you may have cause for legal action. You can start to investigate your situation by visiting the CoQ10 Generic Supplement Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation for review by a legal expert with a background in this type of litigation. If you have a case, you can receive specific guidance on the best steps to take in your exact situation.

Updated August 7th, 2013

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