Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatments Contain Carcinogen Benzene, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims pharmaceutical manufacturer Padagis has failed to warn consumers that certain Perrigo acne treatment products contain “dangerously high” levels of a human carcinogen.

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The 41-page acne treatment lawsuit takes issue with the alleged misrepresentation of Perrigo skin care products that contain benzoyl peroxide, a chemical compound that has been shown to degrade over time into the harmful carcinogen benzene. The suit contends that Padagis, along with co-defendant and product distributor Perrigo Company PLC, has marketed and sold the items to consumers without disclosing on product packaging that they contain or risk containing benzene, a toxic substance linked to leukemia and other cancers.

Per the case, the presence of benzene in the Perrigo products at issue was discovered by Valisure, an independent laboratory that recently tested 66 acne treatments containing benzoyl peroxide. The results showed that Perrigo benzoyl peroxide acne treatment gel with five percent benzoyl peroxide, in particular, contained more than 14 parts per million (ppm) benzene, the complaint relays.

Importantly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a statement in December 2022 warning manufacturers that “any drug product containing more than 2 ppm benzene was adulterated and should be recalled,” the filing emphasizes.

The lawsuit points out that the defendants have failed to issue a voluntary recall of the Perrigo items at issue despite knowing that they contain benzene, whose presence, the case argues, renders the skin care products “worthless,” misbranded and illegal to sell under federal and state law.

According to the suit, the Perrigo products at issue include:

• Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Gel 10% BPO;
• Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Gel 5% BPO;
• Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Gel 2.5% BPO;
• Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Medication Wash 10% BPO; and
• Perrigo Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Medication Wash 5% BPO.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone who purchased any of the products listed on this page in California or Missouri for personal or household use within the applicable statute of limitations period.

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