As reported in The New York Times, the parents of a soldier who died after having used Jack3d pronounced “jacked,” have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the workout booster’s developer and marketer, USPlabs, and the dietary supplement store where the product was purchased, GNC. A spokesperson for GNC said the company does not comment on pending litigation. Calls to USPlabs were not returned, and e-mails were not responded to.
Federal law defines supplements as natural products which contain dietary ingredients only. Even so, pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly in the 1940s developed the stimulant used in Jack3d to ease nasal congestion.
Jack3d contains DMAA. According to Dr. Pieter Cohen, Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Medicine and expert on dietary supplements, DMAA is an amphetamine-like stimulant. It can increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks by increasing the heart rate, raising blood pressure, and narrowing blood vessels. Dr. Cohen stated the product is pharmaceutical grade and is being marketed with no oversight. Marketing of the substance began in 2005 when manufacturers often combined it with caffeine to enhance its effects. The products were proclaimed to cause weight loss and enhance the effectiveness of workouts.
After two soldiers died, the U.S. military removed all products containing DMAA from more than 100 GNC stores on military bases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent warning letters to ten companies who market the product. Seven countries have already banned products containing DMAA.
If you or someone you love has become ill, or if a loved one has died after using the workout booster Jack3d, contact the product liability attorneys at Alpert Schreyer. Call (301) 368-8174 to discuss your legal options free of charge. At Alpert Schreyer, we cannot turn back time, but we can defend your legal right to the compensation you deserve.