We are committed to helping people understand that they can actually get over their colds faster with our Zicam Cold Remedy product line. This message seems to be getting out and spreading. One of our consumers recently wrote us, “… Zicam (Cold Remedy) has really changed my attitude about getting a cold…It is an amazing product.” Another wrote, “I have used your product for over a decade.” It is gratifying to hear from consumers whose personal experiences support our research that demonstrates that Zicam Cold Remedy products really do help you get over your cold faster. To read more from our consumers click here.

Thanks again for visiting my blog. As we get ready to celebrate this July 4th weekend, I wanted to take a few moments to talk about what this important holiday means to me and my family and perhaps to you and yours as well. Everyone is pretty much in a “lot to do” mode right about now, running around getting the BBQ ready, loading the car for a long weekend or the family vacation, planning the best vantage point for Saturday night’s fireworks, or figuring out the best time to hit the highway to avoid traffic. In the middle of all this activity, it’s easy for us to lose sight of what July 4 is all about and why we are celebrating it.

In addition to all the interest in reporting on Zicam over the past couple of weeks, I also wanted to say how much I have appreciated reporters sharing their own experiences with Zicam and talking about how it has helped them. I’m sure if you saw my interview on CNBC about the recall, just before it went on the air, Jim Cramer talked about how much Zicam has helped him and expressed his own feelings about our voluntary recall. I believe he said he used it all the time and that he was “shattered” that these two products were no longer on the market. Glenn Beck, who has his own show on Fox News, also talked about how Zicam “is powerful stuff” that works for him.

While I had expected media interest in the FDA warning and our voluntary recall of our Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Cold Remedy Gel Swabs to be pretty extensive, I must admit that I wasn’t expecting Zicam to become a part of our popular culture in quite the way it has over the past few weeks. But, to be honest, I can see where the combination of government, noses and the common cold would just be too good for comedy writers to pass up. Two of the most popular spoofs that I’ve seen – and which are making the rounds on the Internet and e-mails – were on the Colbert Report, hosted by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.

Regarding questions from consumers as to whether Zicam Cold Remedy products are really homeopathic, let me simply state, yes, they are. If you read the packaging on our Cold Remedy products, you’ll see that the active ingredient is a compound called Zinc gluconate. This compound is listed as a drug in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS) (a compendium of the FDA). To be clear, this ingredient and its concentration in Zicam intranasal Cold Remedy products are in compliance with this reference guide. Zicam intranasal products are labeled, marketed and sold in accordance with the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States and the Federal Trade Commission.

Many of you have reached out to us asking about the availability and safety of our other Zicam products. The Zicam products that you can still find on your local stores include oral versions of our Cold Remedy, nasal products to treat sinus congestion, products for cold and flu symptom relief, products to help treat allergy symptoms and even a product to help heal cold sores faster. Some are homeopathic and some are allopathic (traditional medicines). These products are safe and effective.

As I wrote earlier, we have been receiving a tremendous amount of support from our consumers, and it is great to hear how much Zicam products have helped people over the years. I want to thank-you personally for taking time to reach out to us.  We’ve been asked by many of you to let you know other ways you can show your support.

I’ve been seeing articles and hearing reports that our products are not regulated and, therefore, aren’t safe to use. I want to reassure you, this is just not true. All of our Zicam over-the-counter drugs are regulated by the FDA. This applies to our homeopathic products, such as Zicam Cold Remedy, and to our symptom relief products (which are called allopathic drugs, in case you are interested), as well. The entire family of Zicam products has been shown to be both safe and effective – otherwise, as I mentioned before, we wouldn’t put them in market.

You may have noticed that we put out a press release this morning that confirmed our recall of Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs and Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel. We disagree with the FDA’s allegations that these products are not safe and that they were unlawfully marketed.  However, the company is conducting this recall because of its desire to cooperate with the FDA. We notified retailers, wholesalers and distributors about the recall, and product is on its way back to us.