Millions of adults in the United States live with arthritis, a disease involving the breakdown of cartilage in joints, or other orthopedic disorders in which cartilage in joints is broken down over time and causes bones in those joints to grind against each other. These conditions are often extremely painful and result in limitations on an individual’s range of motion; they also create an opportunity for unscrupulous marketers to peddle supplements with the false promise that cartilage can be rebuilt or regenerated by taking glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that the body distributes in cartilage.
It is produced commercially from crustacean exoskeletons, and is one of the most common, non-vitamin dietary supplements sold in the United States. Chondroitin is a sulfated glycosaminoglygan composed of a chain of alternating sugars. Chondroitin sulfate is a structural component of cartilage and provides resistance to compression. Neither these ingredients, alone or in combination, are capable of promoting cartilage regeneration. On August 20, 2012, Meiselman, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. filed a complaint on behalf of New York consumers against 21st Century Healthcare Inc., which sells a line of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements with the false promise that its products “promote cartilage regeneration.”
However, as alleged in the complaint, 21st Century is fully aware that it is physically and biologically impossible to “regenerate” cartilage that has been lost or damaged. In fact, numerous scientific studies have conclusively demonstrated that neither glucosamine nor chondroitin, alone or in combination, can help regenerate, rebuild or otherwise reverse the deterioration of cartilage. If you or someone you know purchased 21st Century glucosamine and/or chondroitin supplements, or any other such supplements that are advertised with the false promise that cartilage can be rebuilt or renewed, please contact us to discuss your legal options.