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Biotech / Medical : GUMM - Eliminate the Common Cold

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To: Bengalus who wrote (199)2/4/1999 7:04:00 PM
From: DanZ  Read Replies (1) of 5582
 
Bengalus,

Response to your post...

RE: "It also seems unlikely that the NEJM would publish it given that Hensley and co. have already begun making public claims based on the study's results."

It's unreasonable to expect GumTech to wait months for the New England Journal of Medicine to complete their review of a manuscript before marketing Zicam. Further, it's unreasonable for the NEJM to expect GumTech to keep Zicam off the market while they review the manuscript. It follows that GumTech's efforts to market Zicam prior to publication of the manuscript should not have an effect on the NEJM's decision to review the document. Although I'm certainly not an expert in this area, I doubt what you suggest is done in practice for OTC medications such as Zicam. Perhaps you know of examples where companies waited for studies to be approved before marketing their products or making claims with regard to efficacy.

RE: "Though there are exceptions, that kind of hype of an unpublished study is usually considered unseemly"

GumTech hasn't hyped Zicam or the study. The people who hyped Zicam were pump and dump traders looking for a fast buck and the company can not be held responsible for that. I don't think you will get much support for your claim that the limited marketing efforts by GumTech (i.e. the Zicam website) or the package insert in Zicam are hype. I welcome you to cite examples of where you think the company "hyped" Zicam.

Whether the results of the study are published in the NEJM isn't really all that important to me. While this could be used in advertising, I view publication more as a formality to pacify critics and doubters such as yourself. The success or failure of Zicam in the marketplace will depend on whether it works to people's satisfaction and not whether a study backs up the company's claims. I buy OTC cold remedies all the time and haven't once asked for a copy of the company's study that indicates whether it works as advertised. If the product works and I like it, I will buy it again. If it doesn't work, I won't buy it again. It's that simple. I have used Zicam and it works as advertised; therefore, I would buy it again.

Dan
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