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document updated 15 years ago, on Jan 10, 2009

The company settled lawsuits relating to loss of smell thought to be caused by zicam.
The fact that it's labelled as "homeopathic" is odd, since most homeopathic solutions are diluted to far more than 2X, and homeopathic solutions aren't supposed to be shipped in liquid form because the extra jostling counts as more succussion, and therefore makes the solution stronger. (similarly, homeopathic solutions don't usually come in a nasal form). One thing that might explain this is that the FDA doesn't regulate anything labelled as homeopathic:
- and because it is labeled as a homeopathic remedy, it is exempt from the regulations governing safety testing and manufacturing that apply to many drugs. "This is not an FDA-regulated product,"
- Q: And what's to prevent anyone from labelling a drug as "homeopathic" just to avoid regulation? A: "Under the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, only those substances listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS) and prepared according to the guidelines therein may be marketed as homeopathic."
- FAQ: "Q: Does the U.S. Food & Drug Administration regulate Zicam Cold Remedy? A: All Zicam Cold Remedy products are manufactured and marketed according to strict U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for homeopathic medicine." (i.e. an evasive way of saying it's not regulated)
  - Curiously, that's the stance that most U.S. homeopaths take: that their medicine is well-regulated by the FDA. But others see it differently: "The FDA is officially required to regulate homeopathic drugs, but a spokeswoman said the agency doesn't review those products and so does not approve them as safe and effective. That's partly because the items are so diluted that they're thought to pose little direct risk, she said."