Executive Summary

Multiple lawsuits consolidated in U.S. District Court in Boston claim the Canadian maker of Slimquick, NV and Liquid Hoodia dietary supplements made false weight-loss claims for the products and misrepresented the products' contents, the plaintiffs say Sept. 16. Wellnx's clients, now plaintiffs in the suit, were "cheated out of millions of dollars when Wellnx lied about what was in its products and what they would do to help them lose weight," says attorney David Barry of Boston-based Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen. Independent lab testing found trace amounts or no weight-loss ingredients in Wellnx's products and clinical studies of green tea extract, the key ingredient in Slimquick and NV, show insignificant effects on weight loss, according to the lawyers' release. The National Advertising Division recommended Mississauga, Ontario-based Wellnx discontinue its claims for its Slimquick Extreme supplement due to lack of clinical data to support advertising claims (1"The Tan Sheet" July 21, 2008, p. 15)