A Class Action Has Been Filed Against GNC

(Legal News) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:55:42 -0800

Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams, LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against General Nutrition Centers, Inc. ("GNC"), Cellucor Sports Nutrition, Woodbolt Distribution, Ltd, Woodbolt Management LLC and Woodbolt International for, among other things, violations of the California Consumer Leal Remedies Act, the California False Advertising Law, and the California Unfair Competition Act. This action, filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California (Civil Action No. 12-1336), has been brought as a class action on behalf of all persons in the United States who purchased Cellucor's C-4 Extreme at any time during the four years prior to the filing of this lawsuit (the "Class Period").

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Defendants engaged in an illegal and deceptive practice of promoting, marketing, distributing and/or selling C-4 Extreme as a natural dietary supplement when, in fact, C-4 Extreme contains a dangerous substance known by many names, including "1,3 Dimethylamylamine," "1,3 Dimethylhexaneamine HCl," "1,3 Dimethylhexaneamine," "Methylhexaneamine," and "Geranamine" (known as "DMAA"). Plaintiff alleges that Defendants failed to disclose that the DMAA contained in C-4 Extreme is wholly synthetic, manufactured and not derived from the geranium plant.

At the time Plaintiff and the class of consumers purchased and used C-4 Extreme, they were unaware that C-4 Extreme contained the synthetic and dangerous stimulant DMAA and that DMAA was not derived from the geranium plant or any other natural source. Plaintiff alleges that the DMAA contained in C-4 Extreme is a synthetic product that is illegal and dangerous and has dangerous side effects. The safety concerns associated with DMAA have been well-documented, including concerns that DMAA is a dangerous and addictive substance that can cause headache, nausea and stroke. Experts have noted that DMAA has a chemical structure similar to amphetamines and ephedrine and can cause increases in heart rate and blood pressure and even death.

www.abbeyspanier.com

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Files Class Action

(Legal News) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:55:21 -0800

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of purchasers of BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. securities during the period between February 8, 2010 and December 15, 2011.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from February 6, 2012. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff’s counsel, Darren Robbins of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at djr@rgrdlaw.com. If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/biosante/. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges BioSante and its Chief Executive Officer with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. BioSante is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing products for female sexual health and oncology.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the commercial viability, effectiveness, and market potential for LibiGel, a drug designed to improve the sex drive of women suffering from female sexual dysfunction, and specifically hypoactive sexual desire disorder (“HSDD”). Defendants boasted about LibiGel’s efficacy over placebo in clinical trials, and provided supposedly concrete “data” regarding the drug’s “statistically significant” effect on increasing the “number of satisfying sexual events” for women suffering from HSDD. As a result of these false statements, BioSante’s stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period, reaching a high of $3.81 on July 12, 2011.

On December 14, 2011, BioSante issued a press release disclosing for the first time to investors that LibiGel failed to yield positive results in large-scale efficacy tests designed by the Company. According to the clinical trial results, women treated with LibiGel did not experience a statistically significant increase in either total satisfying sexual encounters or sexual desire. In fact, in the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, LibiGel did not fare significantly better than the placebo. On this news, BioSante’s stock collapsed $1.64 per share to close at $0.48 per share on December 15, 2011, a one-day decline of 77% on volume of nearly 50 million shares.

According to the complaint, the true facts, which were known by the defendants but concealed from the investing public during the Class Period, were as follows: (a) LibiGel’s efficacy was well short of that required to obtain FDA approval; and (b) LibiGel failed to yield statistically superior results to placebo.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of BioSante securities during the Class Period (the “Class”). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud.

Robbins Geller, a 180-lawyer firm with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boca Raton, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations.

www.rgrdlaw.com

Indianapolis Business Litigation Law Firm - Riley Bennett & Egloff, LLP

(Legal News) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:06:35 -0800

Whether they be fast-moving injunction proceedings or complex partnership disputes, clients bring their high-stakes business disputes to us.

Contract Disputes

Contract disputes are perhaps the most common form of disputes in business litigation. Ideally, every contract would be in writing and well-drafted. However, not all contracts are in writing, and even those that are written may not be well-drafted, leaving some issues unclear or not addressed at all. Often contract disputes involve these and other complex factual and legal issues. That’s where our commercial litigation attorneys excel.

Riley Bennett & Egloff Law is an Indianapolis based Business Litigation Law Firm and has expertise in resolving hundreds of contract disputes through negotiation, mediation, and litigation. Whether your disputes are simple or complex, their experience consistently guides their approach to successfully help resolve the matter in the careful manner it deserves. Visit www.rbelaw.com for more information.

Lower Chinese court rules shops should pull iPads

(Legal News) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:45:13 -0800

Apple's dispute over the iPad trademark deepened Monday after the Chinese company that claims ownership of the name said it won a court ruling against sales of the popular tablet computer in China.

Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for Shenzhen Proview Technology, said the Intermediate People's Court in Huizhou, a city in southern China's Guangdong province, had ruled on Friday that distributors should stop selling iPads in China.

The ruling, which was also reported widely in China's state media, may not have a far-reaching effect. In its battle with Apple, Proview is utilizing lawsuits in several places and also requesting commercial authorities in 40 cities to block iPad sales.

Apple Inc. said in a statement Monday that its case is still pending in mainland China. The company has appealed to Guangdong's High Court against an earlier ruling in Proview's favor.

Apple insists it holds the trademark rights to the iPad in China.

Israel top court takes Palestinian detainee appeal

(Legal News) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:45:01 -0800

Israel's Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing this week on the appeal of a Palestinian prisoner waging an unprecedented hunger strike that has stretched for more than two months, court officials and his lawyers said Monday.

Khader Adnan, a member of the Islamic Jihad militant group, is demanding he be released immediately. He has not been charged with a crime and does not know what he is suspected of doing.

The case of the 33-year-old Adnan has attracted widespread attention among Palestinians, with large crowds holding regular protests in his support.

The life-threatening gamble has also drawn broader attention toward Israel's policy of "administrative detention," under which Palestinians can be held without charge for months, and even years, at a time.

Both the European Union and the United Nations have said they are following the case closely and urged Israel to give Adnan an open trial.

Adnan was arrested on Dec. 17 and later sentenced to four months of administrative detention. He launched the strike a day after his arrest, protesting his administrative detention and claiming he was beaten and humiliated in captivity.