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From: StockDung	7/27/2011 7:04:03 PM
	of 5529

FURTHER VINDICATION!!->Zicam inventor to plead guilty to marketing unapproved drug July 27, 2011 \| 12:17 pm A Southern California man who invented the popular cold treatment Zicam has agreed to plead guilty to marketing an unapproved drug that he claimed in 2005 could prevent and treat flu. Charles B. Hensley of Redondo Beach was indicted in May on 12 felony charges related to sales of an influenza-treatment product called Vira 38 without Food and Drug Administration approval. Hensley agreed to plead guilty to one of those charges under an agreement with prosecutors. Free on $5,000 bond, he is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Aug. 8 to enter the plea. Under the plea deal, the remaining charges would be dismissed. Hensley's attorney, Kerry Bensinger, could not immediately be reached for comment on the case. The indictment alleges that Hensley directed the shipment of 26 bottles of the drug from Hong Kong to customers in the United States. Vira 38 was marketed on the website for Hensley's company, PRB Pharmaceuticals, which was based in Cypress, according to the indictment. Hensley had initially tried to sell the drug in Hong Kong. When authorities there would not approve it, he started marketing it on the Internet, according to the indictment. In the 1990s, Hensley obtained patents for a zinc-based gel that was marketed as a cold remedy under the brand name Zicam. The product was originally made to be applied inside the nose with a swab. In 2009, the FDA ordered Zicam's manufacturer, Matrixx Initiatives of Scottsdale, Ariz., to stop selling the zinc swabs because they can damage users' sense of smell. -- Stuart Pfeifer

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From: StockDung	8/10/2011 8:29:59 PM
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IN RE ZICAM COLD REMEDY MARKETING, SALES PRACTICES, AND PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION IN RE: Zicam Cold Remedy Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO: All actions. No. 09-md-2096-PHX-FJM. United States District Court, D. Arizona. August 9, 2011. ORDER FREDERICK J. MARTONE, District Judge. Pursuant to Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Rule 10.1(b), we recommend that the Panel remand to the transferor courts the remaining actions pending in In re: Zicam Cold Remedy Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. The Panel created this MDL on October 9, 2009. Transfer Order (doc. 1). The Panel centralized nine actions, based on its determination that they shared "factual questions regarding, inter alia, the marketing and sale of three Zicam nasal cold remedy products and injuries sustained by the use and/or purchase of those products, particularly whether the products cause anosmia (the loss of sense of smell)." Id. at 2. Since then, a total of 252 actions have been consolidated, including 209 actions transferred from outside the District of Arizona. Plaintiffs' claims relate to three "intranasal" products: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size. The MDL involves both personal injury actions, involving allegations that plaintiffs' use of the intranasal products caused smell dysfunction, and economic injury actions, in which plaintiffs claim economic losses associated with purchase of the products. We appointed Andrew S. Friedman of Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint, and Thomas Rosenfeld of Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, as Lead Counsel for the Economic Injury plaintiffs, and Charles Zimmerman of Zimmerman Reed as Lead Counsel for the Personal Injury plaintiffs. Order of March 1, 2010 (doc. 182). We appointed William J. Maledon and David B. Rosenbaum of Osborn Maledon, Alan J. Lazarus of Drinker Biddle & Reath, and Paul J. Giancola of Snell & Wilmer as Lead Counsel for all defendants. Id. We approved the settlement of all economic injury class actions. Order of May 27, 2011 (doc. 1465). Pursuant to Rule 23(b)(3), Fed. R. Civ. P., for the purpose of settlement we certified a class of persons in the United States who purchased a Zicam intranasal product between January 1, 1999 and October 19, 2010 and claim that the products were not safe. We dismissed plaintiffs' claims related to the efficacy of the products without prejudice, so that they could be resolved in Hohman v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., No. CV 09-3693, pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. We dismissed the remainder of plaintiffs' claims, based on the products' safety, with prejudice. The settlement requires that if a Zicam Cold Remedy Intra-Nasal Product is to be re-introduced, the labels will contain language regarding adverse effects required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and that prior to reintroduction, plaintiffs' counsel will receive the proposed labeling. Plaintiffs' counsel received $150,000 in fees. For the personal injury actions, we granted in part and denied in part defendants' motions to exclude the opinions of four of plaintiffs' experts (their "Daubert motion"). Order of February 24, 2011 (doc. 1360). We admitted the opinions of Dr. Greg Davis, an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, about (1) the diffuse location of olfactory tissue in the nose, and (2) the toxicity of Zicam. Id. at 19. We admitted the opinions of Dr. Ashim Mitra, a Professor of Pharmacy, about (1) the distribution and deposition of Zicam within the nasal cavity, (2) the principle of diffusion, and (3) the effect of the preservative benzalkonium chloride on the absorption of Zicam. Id. at 23. We admitted the opinions of Dr. Steven Pike, a physician, about the toxicity of Zicam to olfactory epithelium and its potential to cause anosmia, but excluded his reliance on certain studies. Id. at 28. We admitted the opinions of Dr. Jay Sirois, the director of a pharmaceutical development consulting firm, about (1) product labeling, (2) FDA regulations, (3) industry monitoring standards, and (4) the biologic plausibility of Zicam causing anosmia. Id. at 37. Also in relation to the personal injury actions, we denied defendants' motion for summary judgment on the issue of general causation. Order of June 3, 2011 (doc. 1470). We concluded that the toxic dose showing typically required in environmental exposure actions is not applicable to plaintiffs' products liability claims, and so plaintiffs did not have to demonstrate the toxic dosage of Zicam. Rather, they had to present "sufficient evidence from which a reasonable person could conclude that it is more probable than not that Zicam caused their anosmia." Id. at 9. We then concluded that based on plaintiffs' evidence of Zicam's toxicity, the distribution and reach of Zicam within the nasal cavity, and the location of olfactory epithelium within the nose, there remains an issue of material fact as to whether Zicam can cause smell dysfunction at the level of exposure which plaintiffs experienced. Id. at 13-14. have been settled. Pursuant to the parties' settlement agreement, we dismissed with prejudice the claims of 360 plaintiffs. See Order of July 7, 2011 (doc. 1495); Order of July 26, 2011 (doc. 1500). Several other actions were dismissed pursuant to the parties' stipulations. See Order of Oct. 25, 2010 (doc. 1021) (dismissing plaintiff Charlene Gardner from Gardner, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 10-0787); Order of Nov. 18, 2010 (doc. 1143) (dismissing plaintiff Lois Hobbs from Gardner, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 10-0787); Order of Dec. 7, 2010 (doc. 1218) (dismissing certain plaintiffs from Marilyn Adams, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 09-1529); Order of Dec. 10, 2010 (doc. 1238) (dismissing Sharon Davis, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 10-0164); Order of May 13, 2011 (doc. 1460) (dismissing Callier v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. 11 CV-0254). We also dismissed several plaintiffs for failure to comply with court-ordered discovery. See Order of Feb. 24, 2011 (doc. 1363) (dismissing Vance v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. et al., No. CV 10-1637, and plaintiffs Glen Dunn and Russell Hill of Adams v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 09-1529); Order of Aug. 5, 2011 (doc. 1502) (dismissing Adjal, et al. v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No. CV 10-0729); Order of Aug. 5, 2011 (doc. 1503) (dismissing Henry v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., et al., No.10 CV-2082, and Dedecker v. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc, et al., No. 11 CV-0041). We also remanded to the County Court of Calhoun County, Texas Mikolas v. Matrixx Initiatives, et al., No. CV 10-1233. Order of Sept. 1, 2010, (doc. 814). We dismissed Stone v. Walgreen Co., No. CV 11-0948, as duplicative. Order of July 6, 2011 (doc. 1492). We denied defendants' motion for summary judgment on plaintiff Doris Raub's claims. Order of July 6, 2011 (doc. 1491). Unlike the majority of plaintiffs in this MDL, plaintiff Raub's claims arose out of her use of an oral Zicam product. Because discovery and briefing here has focused on the intranasal products, we recommend that Raub v. Zicam LLC, et al., No. CV 11-056 be remanded to the transferor forum for all further proceedings. Having completed consolidated pretrial proceedings and resolved all dispositive motions, we recommend that the Panel remand the below listed actions to the transferor forums. No. Case No. Case Name Transferor Forum 1 CV 09-2301 Michael D. Nelson v. Matrixx, et al. N. D. Cal. 2 CV 10-0915 Jackie Leeds v. Matrixx, et al. D. Utah 3 CV 10-1196 Britteny N. Stone v. Matrixx, et al. E. D. Va. 4 CV 10-1961 Karen D. Lundgren v. Matrixx, et al. D. Utah 5 CV 11-0325 Glenn Cathey, Jr. v. Matrixx, et al. W. D. Tex. 6 CV 11-0560 Rodney Bednarz v. Matrixx, et al. N. D. Tex. 7 CV 11-0561 Doris Raub v. Matrixx, et al. N. D. Tex. 8 CV 11-0751 Justin Sullivan v. Matrixx, et al. C. D. Cal. 9 CV 11-0837 Robin T. Reffitt v. Matrixx, et al. S. D. Ohio 10 CV 11-1129 Glen Mciver v. Matrixx, et al. W. D. Okla. 11 CV 11-1230 Dennis Pucci v. Matrixx, et al. D.N.J. 12 CV 11-1264 Christopher T. Witt v. Matrixx, et al. N. D. Ill. 13 CV 11-1287 Ronald Adams v. Matrixx, et al. S. D. Ohio All non-case specific discovery has been completed. All dispositive motions have been resolved. All Daubert issues have been resolved. Transferor judges need only set dates for the completion of modest, if any, case-specific discovery, final supplementation under Rule 26(a)(3), Fed. R. Civ. P., filing of a proposed pre-trial order, final pre-trial conference and firm trial date. See Rule 16 Scheduling Order, dated March 10, 2010 (doc. 183).

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From: StockDung	8/17/2011 3:23:38 PM
	of 5529

MDL Judge Recommends Remand of Remaining Zicam Lawsuits Published: August 15th, 2011 A federal judge has recommended an end to the consolidation and centralization of Zicam lawsuits, which began nearly two years ago after federal regulators forced the removal of Zicam nasal sprays and gels from the market due to a risk that users may experience permanent loss of smell. U.S. District Judge Ferederick J. Martone, who has been presiding over the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Zicam, issued an order on August 9, recommending the remand of all remaining federal lawsuits over Zicam back to the federal district courts where they were originally filed for trial or other possible resolutions. Although more than 250 lawsuits were consolidated before Judge Martone at one time, only 13 cases remain unresolved over the risk that users may suffer loss of smell from side effects from Zicam cold remedies. The Zicam litigation was consolidated under Judge Martone in October 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The majority of those lawsuits have been resolved through various Zicam settlements after the company’s efforts to get the claims dismissed failed. In the case of Zicam investor lawsuits, the cases went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which also rejected Matrixx Initiatives’ efforts to have the cases thrown out. A Zicam recall was issued in 2009, after the FDA identified at least 120 adverse event reports involving loss of smell with Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs Kids Size. Although Matrixx Initiatives has maintained that their over-the-counter cold remedy could not be the cause for the problems, the manufacturer agreed to remove the product from the market following the FDA warning. In the aftermath of the recall, FDA inspectors discovered 800 reports of Zicam problems that Matrixx Initiatives failed to forward to the agency, in violation of federal regulations. The Zicam injury lawsuits alleged that zinc gluconate, the single active ingredient in nasal Zicam cold remedies, is toxic to the tissue inside the nose and can cause damage to a user’s ability to smell, detect odors or taste; a condition known as anosmia. In addition to causes a decreased quality of life, these Zicam smell and taste problems, could pose a more serious health risk to consumers, who may be unable to detect spoiled foods, gas leaks or other hazardous conditions.

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From: StockDung	9/18/2011 9:50:32 AM
	of 5529

Two years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about certain Zicam cold remedy products, we're still getting disturbing reports from consumers. “I was sick with sinus congestion over 4th of July weekend and had been using Zicam nasal gel,” said Brian, of Nararre, Fla. “It worked pretty good but after three days I noticed I could no longer smell or taste anything. At that point I stopped using it and have not used any medication or nasal products since. My senses have still not come back.I hate to think think product caused this and hope t's not permanent but as it's August 22 now and I'm still without my taste and smell sense, I feel a bit concerned.” Brian should be concerned, and he should see a doctor right away. In 2009 the FDA said consumers should stop using three products marketed over-the-counter as cold remedies because they are associated with the loss of sense of smell, a condition known as anosmia. Anosmia may be long-lasting or permanent. The products are: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size, a discontinued product The FDA said it had received more than 130 reports of loss of sense of smell associated with the use of these three Zicam products. In these reports, many people who experienced a loss of smell said the condition occurred with the first dose; others reported a loss of the sense of smell after multiple uses of the product. consumeraffairs.com

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From: StockDung	11/1/2011 11:46:23 AM
	of 5529

Hornbeck on Homeopathy HJ Hornbeck Gauntlet Opinions October 20, 2011 With 10:23 -- the anti-homeopathy campaign -- just around the corner, I shall now teach you how to make homeopathic medicine. 1. Get more of what ails you. If you're suffering from a cold, gather up all the snot you can drain out of your nose. Feeling squeamish? Substitute an onion instead, since its odour gives you the same symptoms. Have a swollen mouth and can't stand up? Grab some Cyanide of Mercury instead. Having difficulty peeing? Track down a little uranium. 2. Dump all of it into a flask or beaker, then add 100 ml of water. "Sucuss" the flask, or swirl the contents around while whacking it against something 10 times. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, preferred a leather-bound Bible. 3. Using an eye-dropper, pull out a 1 ml drop of the resulting solution. Place that drop in a new flask with 100 ml of fresh water. 4. Repeat step three. The amount of repetitions depends on the potency desired; the more you dilute it, the stronger it gets. The weakest commercially available dose requires two more dilutions, but strong ones need 200 or more. When in doubt, Hahnemann recommended 30 total dilutions. At that level, you have a greater chance of winning the lottery than ingesting a single molecule of puss or uranium. But don't fret -- homeopaths assure us that the Vital Force of the original substance remains. 5. Drink up! If the water seems a little bland, dribble some of it on sugar pills, or substitute alcohol for the final dilution. Why am I sharing this recipe with you? Well, first, homeopathy is big business. In a pond somewhere in France, fifty million dollars is happily sunning itself. A single duck, slaughtered for its heart and liver, will result in millions of medicinal doses. Worldwide, homeopathy is a billion-dollar industry. Pharmaceutical companies have been tripping over themselves to set up arms-length homeopathy wings, and for good reason. Researching new cures involves giving healthy volunteers a proposed homeopathic medicine for one month, during which they are banned from coffee, wine and chess. Volunteers keep a detailed journal of their feelings and dreams, which is then analyzed for interesting symptoms. Compare this to the expensive, decades-long trials that other medicines endure. Second, most countries assume homeopathy is safe at any dose and put few regulations on it. This has opened up the door for what I call "non-homeopathic homeopathy," or cures that violate the basic tenants of homeopathy but use the label. Zicam, for example, has zinc as its active ingredient, which by the laws of homeopathy should be diluted down to nothing. Instead, that popular cold remedy only dilutes it once! Zinc has been shown to reduce the symptoms of a cold, not increase them as homeopathy demands. And yet Zicam is free to call itself homeopathic, even as the manufacturer is being sued by customers who lost their sense of smell due to high concentrations of zinc. These fakes are diluting the good name of homeopathy! Don't fall for them. Ensure that any homeopathic remedies you take are pure, by making them yourself.

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From: StockDung	11/1/2011 4:03:31 PM
	of 5529

Zambian Institute of Careers and Motivation (ZICAM) ========================================= Government challenged to entrench skills training curriculum A youth Non-Governmental Organisation has challenged government to entrench skills training in the schoolcurriculum. Zambian Institute of Careers and Motivation (ZICAM) Executive Director Isaac Likuji says Zambia needs a generation of young people with a spirit of economic independence. Mr. Likuji says the celebration of independence on the theme centered on economic prosperity poses a challenge to the young people to play a bigger role in realizing the vision. He has outlined that the academic system in its current form merely trains the young people to wait for formalemployment in the civil service which is not sufficient to absorb the high numbers of those complementing tertiary education. / end muvitv Author Dorothy Mainza at info@ukzambians.co.uk I am the editor for UKZAMBIANS News Website. Please feel free to contact me especially if you have a story, event, or anything you want us publish. Let me know how we can improve this website. Related posts:

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From: StockDung	11/20/2011 6:54:34 AM
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Wednesday night I noticed a tickle in my throat; it was sudden, unwelcome cascade of post-nasal drip. “I am not getting sick” I told myself and went to bed successfully ignoring this minor distraction. Thursday night the symptom was still persisting, but I felt fine. As a precaution, I started taking Zicam. “I am NOT getting sick” I confidently reassured myself. By Saturday morning, I had become a non-stop snot factory. But still, I was not going to let that intrude on my weekend. Not with my wife’s relatives all in town for the weekend. “I am NOT getting sick!” I growled between more persistent coughs. I bought some Claritin and Mucinex to relieve the symptoms, but that didn’t do diddly. Still, I managed to attend all the family functions without compelling anyone to treat me like a leper. Saturday night I loudly snored when I wasn’t tossing and turning but my wife felt sympathetic more toward my plight than her resulting lack of sleep. In her words, it sounded as if I was “drowning in my own mucus.” By Sunday morning I had a pounding headache, aches all over and my strength all sapped and replaced by green goo. Now my appearance at work the next morning was in serious jeopardy. Yup, it was time to make a trip to the doc-in-the-box. I was officially sick. Damn. When I arrived at the doc-in-the-box I was lead into the examination room and lethargically sitting on the cot, I stumbled through a litany of basic questions asked by the nurse. After she left the room, I sat slumped over there for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, with a light rap on the door, the doctor arrived. The friendly, young physician of Asian descent extended his hand to greet me and he introduced himself with a name I didn’t catch, but that wasn’t important, anyway. I just wanted him to give me powerful meds to banish the crud out of my body. He did all the usual stuff to check on my condition; felt around my throat and neck, had me draw deep breaths while put his stethoscope to my back and had me open up my mouth and say “ahhh.” In addition to finding a sore throat he also noticed wax buildup in my right ear (all this time I’ve been writing music reviews with one ear tied behind my back). He collected cultures by sticking q-tips way up my nose and down my throat…not fun. Then he leaves again. More waiting. Nurse returns to flushe out the wax. Then more waiting. Finally, the good doctor returns. The strep and flu tests come back negative. It was just a sinus infection or bronchitus. He proceeds to write up three (and as I later found out, very costly) scrips. As the young physician gave me some parting words about the prescriptions he just wrote for me, I finally looked down at his identification badge. It read: “DR. WU“. From that moment on throughout the rest of the week, my mind has been playing Phil Woods’ wonderfully lyrical tenor sax solo over and over again. Oh, and the prescription meds helped me to feel better, too. somethingelsereviews.com

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To: StockDung who wrote (5500)	11/20/2011 7:00:13 AM
From: StockDung	of 5529

HIG Capital Acquires Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. HIG Capital, LLC announced the acquisition of Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. by Wonder Holdings, Inc. and Wonder Holdings Acquisition Corp., both affiliates of HIG Capital formed for the purpose of acquiring Matrixx. Miami, FL, November 12, 2011 --( PR.com)-- Matrixx is a leading producer of over-the-counter cold remedy and allergy products marketed under the Zicam® brand. Matrixx has a history of developing innovative products with unique delivery systems. The Company has a broad distribution platform with a presence in drug, food, mass retailers and warehouse clubs across the U.S. Zicam® is currently one of the leading brands in the cold/cough market, having grown significantly over the past decade. Fraser Preston of HIG commented, “Matrixx should benefit from the strong product pipeline currently in development. The Zicam® brand has a significant share of the $4.5 billion cold/cough market and we plan to pursue several attractive growth opportunities in the coming years.” HIG Capital is a leading global private equity investment firm based in Miami. The firm has more than $8.5 billion of capital under management. HIG specializes in providing capital to small and medium sized businesses and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, New York and San Francisco, as well as Hamburg, London and Paris in Europe. ### Contact Information HIG Capital Brian Schwartz 305-379-.2322 Contact www.higcapital.com pr.com

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From: StockDung	2/29/2012 5:45:21 PM
	of 5529

Snell & Wilmer partner accused of participating in fraudulent scheme It wasn't a good weekend for Snell & Wilmer partner Patrick Byrne. Allegations that Mr. Byrne participated in a "fraudulent scheme" hit the news and the press reported that Byrne and S&W is being sued for legal malpractice, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and other civil matters. The Review-Journal reports: The receiver for Southwest Exchange, the Henderson-based financial company that collapsed in 2007 owing $98 million to 130 real estate investors, is suing regional law firm Snell & Wilmer and accusing the law firm's managing partner in Las Vegas of participating in a fraudulent scheme. Attorney Steve Morris, who represents Snell & Wilmer, denied the allegations. "The allegations contained in the complaint are false and are not based on the facts," Morris said in a statement. "The complaint is nothing more than a litigation tactic intended to pressure the firm and its partner, Patrick Byrne, into settling claims that simply do not exist." The article details how Byrne [allegedly] loaned millions of dollars to the owners and operators of Southwest Exchange in exchange for stock and airline flights, failed to disclose to one officer of the company that he was representing another officer of the company, and that Snell & Wilmer "failed to incorporate a provision of Nevada statutes that states that it is a felony for Southwest Exchange to transfer or commingle client money without written consent of the client". Okay, there's no way to make mortgage financing schemes sexy, even with alleged fraud, but the allegations that Byrne was personally bailing out his client through multi-million dollar loans makes this case one to watch. law-info-live.blogspot.com

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From: StockDung	3/5/2012 4:13:06 PM
	of 5529

AOL is 8th advertiser to pull Rush Limbaugh ads The Associated Press Updated 1h 45m ago AOL is the eighth advertiser to drop Rush Limbaugh's radio show in reaction to his sharply criticized comments about a law student, who recently testified before Democrats in Congress about university coverage of contraception. Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh speaks during a Miss America news conference at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Jan. 27, 2010. He was one of six judges for the pageant two years ago. Internet publishing giant AOL said Monday that "one of our core values is that we act with integrity. We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh's comments are not in line with our values." AOL spokeswoman Caroline Campbell said advertising on Limbaugh's show was "not a significant investment for us." She declined to say which products AOL advertised on the show, or whether its ad purchases were recent. AOL is an Internet portal and runs local news websites, the TechCrunch blog, and the Huffington Post. BLOG: Limbaugh: Apology to student was 'heartfelt' The other companies to leave have included the flower delivery service ProFlowers, mortgage lender Quicken Loans, and the maker of Sleep Number beds. Limbaugh called 30-year-old law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" last week after she testified to congressional Democrats in support of national health care policies that would compel employers and other organizations, including her university, to offer group health insurance that covers birth control for women. He apologized to Fluke on Saturday after advertisers began leaving the show. On Monday, he joked that he got a busy signal when he called his show because of the advertisers who are abandoning it. Fluke said Monday that Limbaugh's apology changes nothing and that Americans have to decide whether to support companies that continue to advertise on his program. Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks Inc. hosts Limbaugh's program, one of the country's most popular talk radio shows. The company is supporting Limbaugh, whose on-air contract with Premiere runs through 2016. "The contraception debate is one that sparks strong emotion and opinions on both sides of the issue," Premiere Networks said in a statement on Sunday. "We respect the right of Mr. Limbaugh, as well as the rights of those who disagree with him, to express those opinions." Clear Channel Media and Entertainment operates more than 850 radio stations in the U.S., and Premiere says it's the largest radio content provider in the country, syndicating programs to more than 5,000 affiliate stations. Clear Channel has declined to say how much revenue it stands to lose from advertiser defections. Its parent company was taken private in 2008. The other advertisers that say they have pulled ads from his show are mattress retailer Sleep Train, software maker Citrix Systems, online data backup service provider Carbonite and online legal document services company LegalZoom. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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