Signature Care ‘Rapid-Release’ Pain Relievers Work Slower than Advertised, Class Action Claims

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Albertsons, ACME and Safeway are among the defendants in a proposed class action that alleges Signature Care-brand rapid-release pain relief medication is not as fast-acting as advertised.

The 38-page case alleges that the rapid-release Signature Care acetaminophen gelcaps actually dissolve slower than the brand’s non-rapid-release counterparts. Since the product’s release, the lawsuit alleges, defendants Albertsons, ACME, Safeway, Better Living Brands and LNK International have “misled, and continue to mislead, consumers about the nature, quality and effectiveness” of Signature Brand rapid-release acetaminophen gelcaps. 

Per the suit, consumers reasonably understand “rapid release” to mean that a pain reliever works faster than non-rapid-release products with the same active ingredients and dosage. The case says, however, that independent testing conducted by Valisure found that “rapid-release” Signature Care gelcaps dissolve slower than the brand’s non-rapid-release acetaminophen products made and sold in caplet form. 

The results of the Valisure study are in line with the findings of a 2018 study, also conducted by Valisure, that found that generic acetaminophen rapid-release gelcaps sold by Walgreens, Walmart and Rite Aid dissolve slower than their non-rapid-release versions, the lawsuit adds. 

“Defendants have long known or should have known that traditional, non-rapid release acetaminophen products can be equally effective in the same, if not faster, [sic] in the same time period than the Class Rapid Release Gelcaps,” the complaint states. “Nevertheless, Defendants sell the Class Rapid Release Gelcaps as an alternative to their traditional Signature Care-branded acetaminophen caplets, which are sold at a lower price and do not contain the ‘rapid release’ language on the label.”

In other words, the filing says, the defendants charge a premium based on the representation that Signature Care acetaminophen is “rapid release.” The defendants, the case claims, intended to “induce” consumers into paying “more than they would pay for other comparable products” not falsely labeled with rapid release claims. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all consumers in the United States who, within the applicable statute of limitations period, bought any Signature Care “rapid-release” acetaminophen pain relief product. 

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.