A lawsuit filed in Houston federal court in August claims that at least 15 gas stations scattered throughout the Houston area have been selling pills packaged as over-the-counter “sexual enhancement” supplements that actually contain a number of prescription drugs. Although the pills are marketed with statements like “all natural,” “no harmful synthetic chemicals,” and “no prescription necessary,” the lawsuit alleges that independent lab testing has detected drugs including sildenafil, tadalafil, desmethyl carbodenafil, and dapoxetine-otherwise known as Viagra, Cialis, Priligy, and Westoxetin, respectively.
Including such chemicals without proper labeling can present serious dangers to consumers. Viagra and Cialis can lower blood pressure, an effect which can be exacerbated to life-threatening levels when combined with certain other medications, including nitrates and nitroglycerin. Priligy and Westoxetin, meanwhile, are not approved by the FDA, and their potential interactions with other drugs may not be sufficiently known.
The pills in question are being sold under a variety of names, but all included the term “Rhino” in some way. Examples include Rhino 7 Platinum 3000, Rhino 12 Titanium 6000, and Boss-Rhino Gold X-tra Strength. According to the lawsuit, the wholesalers and distributors of these products have been difficult to trace, as they appear to be a network of “shell” corporations.
Although no injuries have been reported so far, at least one of the gas station owners has pulled the products from shelves in the interest of safety.
If you or someone you know has been injured by taking a mislabeled medication, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-231-9360 or 1-888-229-5094.