ColdZyme Mouth Spray reduced cold symptoms and duration of illness in new comparative, multicenter trial
ColdZyme significantly reduced cold symptoms and improved quality of life in subjects with the common cold, compared to control.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/Matt_Brown
An unpublished comparative, multicenter trial has shown that ColdZyme Mouth Spray manufactured by Enzymatica AB (Lund, Sweden) can significantly reduce cold symptoms and improve quality of life compared to control. ColdZyme, classified as a medical device, consists of a barrier solution predominantly made up of glycerol, and trypsin, which is obtained from Atlantic cod. The study was conducted in Germany, and the results were presented at the Icelandic Medical Association conference in Reykjavik on January 24, 2019.
In the single-blind, randomized study with parallel group design, 400 subjects were randomly asked to either take ColdZyme (two sprays, six times per day until symptom-free) or not to start any treatment when they began to feel cold symptoms. Of the 400 subjects, 267 patients were confirmed to have the common cold and were included in the study. Subjects in both treatment and non-treatment (control) groups were allowed to use symptom-relieving “rescue” medicines, such as ibuprofen or nose decongestants, in parallel, recording their intake.
Cold symptoms were assessed using the Jackson scale, and quality of life was measured using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory System Survery, Quality of Life component. There was no difference in symptom severity between groups at the start of the trial, but over the course of seven days, researchers observed that ColdZyme significantly improved sore throat, nose congestion, and headache symptoms. Treatment with ColdZyme also significantly improved quality of life and significantly shortened disease duration.
While both groups were able to take symptom-relieving medicine, the number of subjects in the ColdZyme group who took these “rescue” medicines during the first week was 23% lower compared to control. “The extremely convincing study results enable us to show the specific clinical benefit of using ColdZyme,” said Fredrik Lindberg, CEO of Enzymatica, in a press release. “In addition, the results will serve as the basis for the design of future studies to further strengthen documentation for ColdZyme.”
