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Biotech / Medical : GUMM - Eliminate the Common Cold -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Carl R. who wrote (1972)	12/27/1999 12:19:00 PM
From: out_of_the_loop	Respond to of 5582

The latter. It is a question of delivering an effective dose to thedirectly to the right place. It just happens that the substance is known to be relatively harmless and the dose is small, but definite and measurable.

To: Carl R. who wrote (1972)	12/27/1999 12:52:00 PM
From: DanZ	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5582

Carl, The issue here is one of economics and what Gum Tech is legally entitled to do. There is no reason for the company to go to the expense of Phase I through Phase III trials for an OTC cold remedy that the FDA will allow them to sell as homeopathic. The company is going beyond what they have to do by conducting independent clinical studies to examine the therapeutic and prophylactic benefits of Zicam on the common cold. They are doing this because they are confident that Zicam works and the clinical studies will enhance the marketability of the product. For example, the FTC will allow them to make more specific claims if the clinical studies come back positive (as I expect). Gum Tech and Gel Tech have also received feedback from consumers who said Zicam helped their allergies, so the company is planning to conduct another independent clinical study to examine the benefits of Zicam on allergies. The study should be out next spring. I did some research on the Internet a few months ago and found several articles on the interaction of ICAM-1 with allergies. Given the connection of zinc with ICAM-1 and the rhinovirus, one can see why Zicam might have a therapeutic and even prophylactic benefit on allergies as well as colds. Regards, Dan