Zicam and Dr. Andrea Pennington Team Up for Consumer Education Campaign

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., makers of Zicam, today announced a partnership with noted health expert Dr. Andrea Pennington to help educate consumers on ways to keep healthy during cold and flu season. Dr. Pennington is a respected physician, acupuncturist, author and leading authority on wellness and prevention. In addition to serving as former medical director for the Discovery Health Channel, Dr. Pennington has appeared on numerous television programs including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today, CNN, CBS Morning News, and Fox News, as part of her mission to help people take control of their health and live longer and better lives.  

Dr. Pennington's work with Zicam will focus on raising awareness about how consumers can successfully treat their colds and feel better faster.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are more than one billion colds annually in the United States.  Children suffer through an estimated six to ten colds per year, and adults catch two to four.  However, two recent surveys of U.S. adults and pharmacists commissioned by Zicam found many consumers lack information that could help them stay healthy during cold and flu season. The majority of Americans is misinformed about what causes the common cold, and many people tend to rely on home remedies, even though 64 percent acknowledge that some of what they learned from their mothers about catching and treating colds is ineffective.

"Most people have no idea how much power they have over their health," said Dr. Pennington.  "Simple, small lifestyle changes can have a big impact on wellness. Embracing positive lifestyle changes now can help protect people during cold and flu season, and promote a lifetime of wellness.  I look forward to working with Zicam to help people live a healthy lifestyle."

Dr. Pennington believes education is the first step.  Through media interviews and online articles at www.zicam.com, she will provide practical tips for people looking to defend themselves and their families this cold and flu season.  Dr. Pennington also will offer consumers advice on how to incorporate sensible strategies that encourage wellness throughout the year.

Dr. Pennington graduated with honors from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.  She trained in Pediatrics at Georgetown University Hospital and received her acupuncture certification from the Helms Medical Institute at UCLA and the Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York.  She has authored two books, The Pennington Plan: 5 Simple Steps to Vibrant Health, Emotional Wellbeing, and Spiritual Growth and Weight Success – 5 Steps to Permanent Weight Loss.

As part of its campaign to educate consumers about how to get rid of a cold faster, Zicam also has launched a light-hearted online video featuring TV icons from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.  The Zicam "Mom Squad" features, Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Meredith Baxter (Family Ties) and Estelle Harris (Seinfeld), who have joined forces to dispel the myths Americans have long harbored about treating the common cold.  Please visit www.fightcoldmyths.com to see the video.

About Zicam Cold Remedy

Most cold medicines are designed to mask cold symptoms; however, Zicam Cold Remedy is different.  When taken at the first sign of a cold (within the first 24-48 hours), Zicam Cold Remedy products reduce the duration of a cold when used as directed.  Two new Cold Remedy Plus items, Zicam Cold Remedy Plus RapidMelts® and Zicam Cold Remedy Plus Oral Mist™, which are specially formulated to deliver the product benefits of reducing the duration of a cold while also helping to provide symptom relief, are also available on retailer shelves this cold season.

About Matrixx Initiatives, Inc.

Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. is engaged in the development and marketing of over-the-counter health care products that utilize innovative drug delivery systems. Zicam, LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary, manufactures and markets a full line of Zicam brand pharmaceuticals, including two new products Zicam Cold Remedy Plus RapidMelts® and Zicam Cold Remedy Plus Oral Mist™, as well as our existing products including Zicam Cold Remedy Plus Liqui-Loz™, Zicam Cold Remedy Zavors™, Zicam Cold Remedy Chewables, Zicam Cold Remedy Oral Mist™, Zicam Cold Remedy RapidMelts®, Zicam Allergy Relief™, Zicam Extreme Congestion Relief™, Zicam Sinus Relief™, as well as Zicam Cough products and Zicam Multi-Symptom relief items.  For more information regarding Matrixx products, please visit www.Zicam.com.

SOURCE Matrixx Initiatives, Inc.