Buyer Said Muscle Supplements Contain Carcinogen

Law360 (June 10, 2020, 4:35 PM EDT) -- A California man is suing Black Diamond Supplements LLC and Strong Supplements LLC in Los Angeles state court, alleging they have violated state law by selling muscle-building supplements that contain a known carcinogen.

In a pair of complaints filed Tuesday, Zachary Stein says Black Diamond's Monster Plexx by Innovative Labs and Strong's Andro the Giant products contain 4-Androstene-3b-ol,17-one, a compound that converts to androstenedione when ingested by humans.

Androstenedione was originally developed as a "precursor" to testosterone in order to get around laws regulating the use of steroids, according to the complaint, which says the substance has a similar structure to testosterone and has similar effects on the human body.

In 2011, androstenedione was added to California's Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens, requiring companies to include clear and reasonable warnings on products that would expose consumers to the substance, the complaint says.

According to Tuesday's complaints, the Monster Plexx and Andro the Giant products contain no such warning label, and the government has successfully prosecuted companies for selling products containing androstenedione and its analogues without proper warnings before.

Stein says Black Diamond and Strong have acted knowingly, as they openly advertise the products as containing the substance.

In the complaints, Stein is asking the court for an injunction forcing the companies to include a proper warning label on products that contain 4-Androstene-3b-ol,17-one, plus civil penalties of $2,500 per day for each product in violation of Proposition 65.

According to the complaints, Black Diamond has been in violation for at least 21⁄2 years, while Strong has been in violation for 41⁄2 years.

Kevin J. Cole of KJC Law Group APC told Law360 that Black Diamond and Strong are two of several companies that knowingly sell products containing androstenedione.

"Androstenedione was listed by the state of California in 2011 because it converts to testosterone and is considered an anabolic steroid," he said. "California consumers need to be warned about exposures to androstenedione and other steroids."

Black Diamond and Strong Supplements could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Stein is represented by Kevin J. Cole of KJC Law Group APC.

Counsel information for Black Diamond and Strong Supplements was not available.

The cases are Stein v. Black Diamond Supplements LLC, case number 20STCV21674, and Stein v. Strong Supplements LLC, case number 20STCV19925, both in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

--Editing by Abbie Sarfo.