GNC Sued by Oregon Attorney General For Using Illegal Ingredients

[charlie]

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Thursday she has filed a lawsuit alleging that GNC Corp. GNC, -14.24% sold dietary supplements that include illegal ingredients. The news sent shares of GNC down about 13% in afternoon trade. Rosenblum said various GNC products contain the synthetic chemical picamilon, or the stimulant BMPEA, both of which are not approved for sale in the U.S.

More at link:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gnc-su ... 2015-10-22

 

[tara]

I don't know any more about picamilon than is in that article, but I don't want anyone selling me products with ingredients they are not telling me about.

 

[charlie]

Their investors sure aren't liking it either.

Interesting about picamilon they use it in Russia for migraines among other things:

Picamilon (also known as N-nicotinoyl-GABA, pycamilon, and pikamilon) is a drug formed by a synthetic combination of niacin and GABA. It was developed in the Soviet Union in 1969 by the All-Union Vitamins Scientific Research Institute[1] and further studied in both Russia[2] and Japan as a prodrug of GABA.[3]

In Russia, picamilon is sold as a prescription drug. The rights to the drug belong to the Russian pharmaceutical company NPK ECHO ("НПК ЭХО"). It is not approved for sale in the United States.[4]

In Russia, Picamilon is used for treatment of these illness.[13]

Violations of cerebral blood flow (ischemic acute, subacute and rehabilitation period of ischemic stroke, chronic insufficiency of cerebral blood flow);
Vasoneurosis;
Asthenia (weakness);
Depression;
Senile psychosis;
Alcohol (period of abstinence), acute alcohol intoxication;
Migraine
Craniocerebral trauma
Neuroinfections;
Primary open-angle glaucoma (for stabilization of visual function).

More at link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picamilon


And here is what BMPEA aka β-Methylphenethylamine is:

β-Methylphenethylamine (β-Me-PEA, BMPEA), or 1-amino-2-phenylpropane, is an organic compound of the phenethylamine class, and a positional isomer of the drug amphetamine, with which it shares some properties. In particular, both amphetamine and β-methylphenethylamine are human TAAR1 agonists.[1] In appearance, it is a colorless or yellowish liquid.

Bold mine.

More at link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%92-Me ... ethylamine