New Chocolate-Flavored Dr. Cocoa™ for Children, a Patented OTC Cough/Cold Line, Fights the Cold Symptoms, Not the Child

WESTPORT, Conn., Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new national survey¹ of U.S. parents of school-age children (ages 4-13), almost 40% report that it isn't always easy to give their children over-the-counter liquid cough/cold medicines. One third (34%) of parents believe the taste of the medicine impacts how easy it is to give their child the recommended dose, with one in four (24%) saying their child often complains that liquid medicines taste bad. Like these parents, infirst Healthcare knows that taste matters, so they are providing a new solution with the launch of their new Dr. Cocoa^™ for Children brand.  It's the first-ever line of patented over-the-counter cough and cold medicines formulated with trusted, effective ingredients and 10% real cocoa for real chocolate taste to improve compliance.

"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," says 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 good². "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," adds Barickman.
Dye-, alcohol- and gluten-free, the new Dr. Cocoa^™ line is available in three formulas that combine trusted, effective ingredients with 10% real cocoa for a real chocolate flavor:

• Dr. Cocoa™ for Children Long-Acting Cough Relief is for the non-drowsy, temporary relief of coughing due to minor throat and bronchial irritations as may occur with a cold. Intended for use in children ages 4 -13. Carefully follow the instructions for dosing on the box using the enclosed measuring spoon. (Active ingredient:  Dextromethorphan)
• Dr. Cocoa™ for Children Daytime Cough+Cold Relief is for the non-drowsy, temporary relief of cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation as may occur with a cold, along with nasal congestion.  Indicated for use in children ages 4-13; use in children under the age of 6 should be on the advice of a doctor.  Carefully follow the instructions for dosing on the box using the enclosed measuring spoon (Active ingredients: Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine) 
• Dr. Cocoa™ for Children Nighttime Cough+Cold Relief temporarily relieves sneezing, itchy nose or throat, cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation as may occur with a cold, nasal congestion, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes, while helping your child to rest.  Intended for use in children ages 6-13. Carefully follow the instructions for dosing on the box using the enclosed measuring spoon. (Active ingredients: Diphenhydramine, Phenylephrine)

Dr. Cocoa™ for Children is available online at drugstore.com and available on shelves at all major food, drug, and mass merchant retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.drcocoa.com, or to connect with the brand, visit www.facebook.com/DrCocoaforChildren.

Dr. Cocoa^™ for Children is owned and distributed by infirst Healthcare Inc., a subsidiary of U.K.-based infirst Healthcare Ltd., a company determined to bring meaningful innovation for everyday ailments to consumer healthcare and primary care practitioners.  infirst Healthcare believes that more effective treatments can be found by taking known drugs and making them better to increase patient compliance and improve outcomes.      

*Although Dr. Cocoa™ tastes good, it is an FDA-regulated medicine. Use as directed, and keep this and all medicines safely out of the reach of children. For specific questions about dosing or formulations, please speak with a pediatrician.

¹Survey was conducted online within the United States between May 2-6, 2014 among 2,049 adults aged 18 and older, of whom 293 are parents of children age 4-13, by Harris Poll on behalf of infirst Healthcare via its Quick Query omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

² Taste rated on a 5 point scale, [1= really bad, 2=bad, 3=not sure, 4=good, 5=really good]. Dr. Cocoa achieved a mean rating of 4.14. Pediatric Taste Study (2013); conducted among 50 patients, ages 6-13; 8-hour cough formulation tested. Clinical Study Administrators: Radian Research, Pinellas Park, FL; Methodology: "The Standard Guide for Sensory Evaluations of Products by Children"; ASTM Designation: E2299-11

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SOURCE Dr. Cocoa for Children