U.S. group sues Bayer over multivitamin claims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. public advocacy group has sued Bayer AG over the company's prostate cancer marketing claims for the drugmaker's One A Day multivitamin for men.

The suit, filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) on September 30 and announced on Thursday, challenges Bayer's promotion of the vitamin's selenium ingredient as a way to "support prostate health" and "reduce the risk of prostate cancer."

Such claims were made on the drugmaker's website, advertising and product label, the group said.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in San Francisco, said such claims are false because selenium -- a trace mineral -- "may actually cause harm to consumers," CSPI said in its lawsuit.

Representatives for Bayer had no immediate comment.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)