Infirst Healthcare launches three new chocolate-flavored cough-cold items for kids
WESTPORT, Conn. — Infirst Healthcare on Wednesday announced the introduction of three new chocolate-flavored cough-cold items called Dr. Cocoa.
“Our mission is to make known, safe and effective medicines better. With Dr. Cocoa we are making effective cough and cold medicines better for kids and their parents with real chocolate flavor,” stated James Barickman, general manager at Infirst Healthcare USA. “Taste is important to compliance among children, and many parents struggle with getting their children to take medicine as directed. Dr. Cocoa’s soothing real-cocoa formula was developed to improve on this issue among children – it triggers a smile, not a struggle.”
A clinical palatability study among 50 pediatric patients showed that on average the taste of Dr. Cocoa was rated as "good." “The pediatric participants confirmed that the taste is good and hence is not a compliance barrier. Purposefully the product is not designed to be perceived as ‘really good’ as flavor should support compliance but for a medicine not be exceedingly appealing," Barickman said.
The Dr. Cocoa line is available in three formulas that combine pediatrician-recommended ingredients with 10% real cocoa for a real chocolate flavor. The lineup includes Dr. Cocoa Long-Acting Cough Relief, a single-symptom, non-drowsy formulation containing dextromethorphan; Dr. Cocoa Daytime Cough+Cold Relief, a dual-symptom cough suppressant and decongestant combination with dextromethorphan and phenylephrine; and Dr. Cocoa Nighttime Cough+Cold Relief, a multi-symptom nighttime remedy that combines an antihistamine/cough suppressant and decongestant (diphenhydramine and phenylephrine) to temporarily relieve coughs, plus runny and stuffy nose while helping a child rest at night.
Dr. Cocoa for Children is currently available online at Drugstore.com and will be available on shelves at all major food, drug, and mass merchant retailers nationwide in late summer 2014, the company stated.