COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) The maker of Purell hand sanitizer is misleading the public about the benefits of the product in protecting against the spread of illness, according to a federal class action lawsuit.
“By Defendant stating that its products kill 99.99% of germs, it is actually stating that the products kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses,” states the lawsuit by Cliff Jurkiewicz on behalf of all others similarly situated. “Defendant then makes the jump to the conclusion that by killing 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, this results in the products preventing disease and reducing illness, which is not true.”
The suit cites a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Purell manufacturer GOJO Industries, Inc. dated Jan. 17, 2020.
“FDA is currently not aware of any adequate and well-controlled studies demonstrating that killing or decreasing the number of bacteria or viruses on the skin by a certain magnitude produces a corresponding clinical reduction in infection or disease caused by such bacteria or virus,” the letter said.
The suit seeks unspecified damages and attorney fees. The plaintiffs are represented by W.B. Markovits and Terence R. Coates of Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, LLC.; David J. George and Lori G. Feldman of George, Gesten, McDonald, PLLC; and Mark Morrison of Morrison & Associates.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio case number 2:20-CV- 00279