Boiron

Boiron (Euronext: BOI) is a manufacturer of homeopathic products, headquartered in France and with an operating presence in 59 countries worldwide. It is the largest manufacturer of homeopathic products in the world. In 2004, it employed a workforce of 2,779 and had a turnover of € 313 million. It is currently a member of the CAC Small 90 stock index.

In June 2005, the firm acquired Dolisos Laboratories, then the world's second largest manufacturer of homeopathic preparations.^{[citation needed]}

Products of Boiron include mono- (Hahnemanian) preparations and poly- (which Boiron called "Proprietary drugs").

Several class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of consumers claiming that Boiron's homeopathic products, including Children's Coldcalm and Oscillococcinum, are useless and Boiron's marketing of these products is deceptive.

Blogzero backlash

Samuele Riva, an Italian blogger, wrote an entry about the implausibility of homeopathy including images of Boiron's top-selling product. The company sent a letter to the Internet provider for the blog, but the result was a backlash in favor of freedom of speech.

Criticism

The non-profit, educational organizations Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the associated Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), criticizing Boiron for misleading labeling and advertising of Oscillococcinum. "One petition complains that Boiron’s packaging for Oscillococcinum lists the alleged active ingredient – duck liver and heart – in Latin only. Another petition complains that Boiron’s web ad for this product implies that it has received FDA approval." Ronald Lindsay, CFI and CSI president and chief executive officer, contends, "If Boiron is going to sell snake oil, the least they can do is use English on their labels.”

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Boiron on behalf of "all California residents who purchased Oscillo at any time within the past four years." The lawsuit charges that Boiron "falsely advertises that Oscillo has the ability to cure the flu because it contains an active ingredient it claims is proven to get rid of flu symptoms in 48 hours." The lawsuit also states that the listed active ingredient in Oscillococcinum (Oscillo) "is actually Muscovy Duck Liver and Heart...and has no known medicinal quality."

In February 2012, skeptical activist Carrie Poppy blogged on the James Randi Educational Foundation JREF site about her experience using Boiron's popular Coldcalm formula, and experiencing no relief from her cold symptoms. Included in the blog was a video showing Poppy calling a Poison Control center after she had taken more than the prescribed dosage, and being told that the product was "bogus." Poppy went on to call Boiron repeatedly, finally receiving a response from a representative who said the product works based on anecdotal evidence. Poppy then called on readers to petition Boiron to extend their fourteen day refund policy, and refund any customer who has ever bought Boiron products and then found out it is "fake medicine."

External links

• Official Boiron website (French)
• Official Boiron US website
• Quackwatch analysis of one of their "magical" products
• Part 1 of the original blog entry
• Part 2 of the original blog entry
• Article about the blogger-case in a German blog
• Article about the blogger-case in British Medical Journal
• Article about the blogger case in the German Handelsblatt

References

• Datamonitor OTC Healthcare in France to 2009
• Wright Reports, company snapshot
• Yahoo! Finance company profile