The lackluster cough-cold season will necessitate a greater need for marketing and promotion next season, ProPhase Labs chairman and CEO Ted Karkus said on Thursday in announcing first-quarter results for the period ended March 31.

A reported "epidemic" of whooping cough in Washington has prompted at least one retail pharmacy chain to increase supplies of booster vaccines for the disease.

Melville, N.Y.-based Ascent Consumer Products late last month introduced a new delivery form to the nasal saline category — a dry salt inhaler branded InHalo — as a new solution to help break up mucous and promote nasal and bronchial drainage at the ECRM Cough & Cold and Allergy EPPS conference held here.

This cough-cold season, Procter & Gamble showcased four new Vicks Nature Fusion products — traditional cough-cold-relieving medicines infused with honey.

Annapolis, Md.-based St. Joseph Consumer Health last week unveiled a new St. Joseph-branded line of cough cold products formulated for patients with high blood pressure at the ECRM Cough & Cold and Allergy EPPS.

As of the beginning of February, the cough-cold season had yet to materialize and illness levels were only just beginning to climb. If that’s the case, then an expected illness peak in late February/early March would make the 2011-2012 cough, cold and flu season one of the later-peaking seasons in recent years.


A wet spring last year made for ideal allergen-
creating conditions heading into summer 2011 — the growth of ragweed and an increase in mold.

Zarbee’s has been expanding its pediatric cough-cold line featuring buckwheat honey with the launch of Zarbee’s Nighttime Cough and Sleep Drink, an over-the-counter nighttime cough remedy proven safe and effective for children 2 years of age and older.


Walgreens on Tuesday expanded its offering of immunizations that provide protection against pertussis (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis-Tdap vaccine) to all of its more than 580 pharmacies throughout Illinois with no appointment necessary.

To help under-the-weather junior, Hyland’s has rebranded its pediatric line of products Hyland’s Baby.

In support of its Wet Ones antibacterial hand wipes, Playtex Products on Tuesday introduced the "Twice as Handy Cough-and-Cold Season Guide," which features germ-fighting advice from microbiologist Benjamin Tanner, as well as practical tips for moms from parenting guru Stacy DeBroff.

Procter & Gamble last month introduced its latest innovation across its Vicks cough-cold franchise — Vicks Nature Fusion, a line of cough-cold products infused with a bit of honey in place of artificial flavors — at the BlogHer 2011 conference.