ZaZa Class Action Lawsuit Claims Supplements Are Dangerously Addictive, Falsely Advertised as Safe

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims that the maker of ZaZa-brand dietary supplements does not adequately disclose that tianeptine, a highly addictive opioid agonist and an active ingredient in the products, can cause consumers to develop deeply damaging addictions and undergo painful withdrawal symptoms.

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The 35-page lawsuit claims that manufacturer MRSS Inc. “created an unreasonable health hazard” by marketing the ZaZa products—specifically, ZaZa White, ZaZa Silver and ZaZaRed—as herbal supplements that provide “a wide array of mental and social benefits” without warning consumers of tianeptine’s addiction risk and severe withdrawal symptoms.

Often referred to as “gas station heroin” for its common sale at gas stations, bodegas, corner stores and mini-marts, tianeptine is an opioid agonist whose function and method of activation in the body fall in the same category as heroin, oxycodone, methadone, morphine, hydrocodone and opium, the suit says. Per the case, tianeptine additionally shares characteristics with FDA Schedule II Controlled Substances such as methamphetamines, fentanyl, cocaine, morphine and phencyclidine—and its short half-life in the body allegedly leads to quicker withdrawals and an increased chance of addiction.

According to the lawsuit, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued notices and warnings about increased reports of the negative effects of tianeptine. Though the compound is sometimes used as a prescription antidepressant in parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America, the FDA has stated that it is not approved for any medical use in the U.S., the suit relays. Several states have also tightly restricted or outright banned the sale of tianeptine, including the state in which the plaintiff first encountered the ZaZa products, the case says.

Despite this, the lawsuit claims that ZaZa supplements are sold and marketed with no disclosure that they can result in an opioid-like dependency and severe withdrawal symptoms, which can include delirium, autonomic dysfunction, hyperactivity, agitation, insomnia, headache, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, hypertension, diarrhea, tremors, excessive sweating, drowsiness and confusion.

“[T]here are no warnings or disclosures on the packaging—or even an asterisk suggesting that purchasers should review the back of the product or information located elsewhere for more information,” the suit writes.

Additionally, MRSS Inc. has given out free samples of ZaZa, which implies to consumers that the products are safe, the case says.

The lawsuit alleges that MRSS Inc. is and was fully aware of the addictive properties, pharmacological effects and regulatory statutes and warnings surrounding tianeptine, and that the potential withdrawal symptoms would cause users to purchase even more ZaZa products in order to stave off the painful side effects. Per the case, MRSS purposely designed the ZaZa products to be addictive—and failed to disclose their risks—in order to “prey on users” and increase profits even as the U.S. is experiencing an opiate crisis.

A reasonable consumer, the complaint argues, does not expect that products like ZaZa, which are sold at local stores and gas stations, will contain highly addictive chemicals that pose the same or greater addiction risk than opioids. As such, the case says, many ZaZa users have been blindsided by the adverse effects of the purportedly harmless supplement, including severe tianeptine addiction, which can cause severe financial, psychological and physical harm.

The complaint cites several firsthand accounts from ZaZa users that were posted on the “Quitting Tianeptine” Reddit forum, all of which detail the various severely negative effects this unexpected addiction has wreaked on their lives, including needing to take enormous doses every few hours, even while sleeping; enduring painful and disruptive withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit or lower their dosage; degrading and destroying relationships with family and friends due to the addiction; and burning through bank accounts, savings, assets and credit cards to fund the expensive habit.

The ZaZa class action lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the U.S. who has purchased a ZaZa product, and the plaintiff also seeks an injunction removing the products from the market.

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