A private laboratory, Valisure, has come under scrutiny for its dubious scientific methods and its role in fueling mass tort claims against American manufacturers. The latest target is the $5 billion acne medication industry, but this is just one example of a lucrative racket that has emerged.
Valisure’s pattern involves conducting unrealistic product testing, making alarming claims about contamination, and inviting lawsuits targeting deep-pocketed companies. For instance, the lab claims to have detected benzene, a carcinogen, in acne products, but its methods are suspect. It subjected products to extreme temperatures, far exceeding those at which they are intended to be stored or used.
Unsurprisingly, plaintiffs’ lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits based on Valisure’s claims. This is not the lab’s first rodeo; it was also behind the debunked Zantac litigation, where a judge criticized its unreliable methodologies and lack of scientific rigor.
Despite its track record, Valisure has secured a contract from the Department of Defense to test medications for troops, raising concerns about the misuse of taxpayer dollars. The lab’s close ties to the plaintiffs’ bar also raise questions about conflicts of interest. Reports indicate that Valisure offered to conceal testing information in litigation against Unilever.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has played a role in enabling this shakedown, pressuring the FDA to hold accountable companies accused by Valisure. Instead of questioning the lab’s credibility, DeLauro has amplified its claims.
As more lawsuits arise based on Valisure’s questionable testing practices, experts emphasize the need for rigorous scrutiny of its methods and potential conflicts of interest. Junk science erodes public trust, overwhelms the judicial system, and jeopardizes companies that produce essential everyday goods.
Regulators, courts, and elected leaders must uphold rigorous scientific standards and reject manipulated testing that enriches the few at the expense of the many. Legitimate consumer protection demands sound science and impartial analysis, not distorted data designed to manufacture lawsuits.
