• The New York Times, Wednesday, March 5, 2008 11:15 AM

The parent of Airborne, a line of herbal supplements once touted as a "miracle cold buster," will settle -- for more than $23 million -- a class-action lawsuit that charged it with false advertising. Under terms of the deal, it will reimburse customers for up to six purchases of Airborne products but admit to no wrongdoing.

Under terms of the agreement, the company has set up a dedicated Web site to accept claims from customers who bought products including Airborne On-the-Go, Airborne Nighttime, Airborne Gummi and Airborne Power Pixies, among others. The company once pushed the stuff as an "effervescent dietary supplement ... created by a schoolteacher" as a tonic for the common cold.

It took in more than $100 million through 2006 via catchy commercials, star endorsements and retail shelf placements. Among the celebs pushing the product were Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern and Kevin Costner. The company also said it had scientific evidence to support its pitch, proof that did not hold up in the face of a probe by ABC News last year.

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