Inventor of Zicam Charles Hensley arrested in Calif. for bird flu remedy

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES) - Charles Hensley, the inventor of the well-known Zicam cold remedy, has been charged with importing and distributing an unapproved herbal product he claimed treated bird flu, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

In 2005, when fears of a bird flu epidemic ran high, Hensley, 57, was attempting to market a product called Vira 38 as a regular flu remedy in Hong Kong, says the U.S. Attorney's office.

After his attempts to sell the product in Hong Kong were unsuccessful, he reportedly began to sell the product in the U.S. by claiming Vira 38 contained compounds that inhibited the bird flu virus, prosecutors said.

U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said he was not aware of anyone being harmed by the product.

The 57-year-old was arrested Wednesday at his home in Redondo Beach, Calif.

He faces four misdemeanor counts of introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce, four misdemeanor counts of introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce, and four felony counts of illegally importing an unapproved drug into the US.

Hensley pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday and was released on a $5,000 bond.