Centrum Multis Drop Colon, Breast Health Claims

NEW YORKCentrum multivitamin labels and advertising will no longer carry breast and colon health  claims, as part of an agreement between Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Centrum will also modify product labels that carry heart health, energy  claims.

 In return, CSPI will not move ahead with a lawsuit it planned to file against Pfizer over these and other claims.

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare has agreed to make certain changes to the labeling and advertising of some Centrum dietary supplements under a resolution reached with CSPI," according to a statement Pfizer released. "The Company disagrees with CSPIs concerns, but has agreed to make these changes in order to fully resolve the issues raised by the organization."

CSPI took issue with labels for Centrum Ultra Women's and Centrum Silver Women's multivitamin supplements that stated those products supported breast health, and with labels for Centrum Ultra Men's and Centrum Silver Ultra Men's that stated those products supported colon health. CSPI said those claims of breast and colon health implied that the supplements would prevent breast and colon cancer. In the United States, it is illegal for supplements to claim they prevent, treat, mitigate or cure diseases.

"For many consumers, a daily multivitamin is an inexpensive insurance policy to make sure that one's getting the recommended daily amounts of important vitamins and minerals," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "But supplement manufacturers must not mislead consumers into thinking that these pills will help ward off cancer."

Centrum relied, in part, on the presence of vitamin D in all of those products to base those claims. However, CSPI argued the evidence on vitamin Ds relationship to breast cancer is limited, and the support for vitamin D's effects on colon cancer is inconclusive.

Pfizer will also add clarifying language to labels and advertising of Centrum product that bear a claim for heart health. The heart health products will now carry the statement, "not a replacement for cholesterol-lowering drugs." Pfizer will add language clarifying that products with energy claims do not directly provide an energy boost, but rather help support metabolic function.

The changes will be made on Pfizer web sites and advertising within 30 days, and changes on product labels will be implemented over the next six months as supplies of packaging are depleted.

CSPI sued Bayer in 2009 over false claims that the selenium in its One A Day men's multivitamins reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Eventually, a group of three state Attorneys General announced a settlement agreement with Bayer that ended those claims.