Talk:Cold-fX

Comment
Due to the lack of conclusive scientific evidence that the CVT-E002 extracted from the ginseng root has any major effect upon boosting the immune system to lessen cold and flu effects, one must think that CV technologies is exploiting people looking for a 'quick cure' for colds. It seems to work mostly on the grounds that it is a placebo and people believe that it is making them feel better. (Bennyj600 (talk) 01:16, 16 April 2009 (UTC))

Is the above statement based on anything whatsoever? Read the very first section of the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.156.133.205 (talk) 06:48, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Deletion of athlete section
I deleted the following section: reads like an ad, no sources for individual facts.


 * Athlete Usage

"Through the years, the popularity of COLD-fX has grown, helped in a major way by athlete endorsements. Over 300 elite Canadian athletes use COLD-fX regularly and 27 professional hockey teams and several football teams have also used the product.  Company spokespeople include:  Olympic Gold Medalist Clara Hughes, Hockey Legend Mark Messier, and Canadian hockey commentator Don Cherry, who were all approached by the company after they made it known that they were using COLD-fX. Other celebrities who have identified themselves as COLD-fX users include internationally renowned author Margaret Atwood, gifted theatrical vocalist Michael Burgess, Canadian Idol winner Eva Avila, actor Colin Mochrie and TV star and comedian Rick Mercer."

--Coppertwig (talk) 22:03, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Good call!

Bennyj600 (talk) 01:18, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

cvstechnologies
"COLD-fX is a highly purified ChemBioPrint product derived from the roots of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Each capsule contains 200 mg of, CVT-E002™, a unique extract of polysaccharides that has been shown in laboratory and clinical studies to strengthen the immune system. Through CV Technologies’ proprietary process, COLD-fX undergoes vigorous testing to ensure that every batch has consistent chemical identity and biological activity." from a website which is linked directly to from cvstechnologies -- the web site appears to be presented by the same company. --Coppertwig (talk) 22:59, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Deletion of most of Clinical Evidence section
I deleted the following. Specific references are not given for the statements, and the wording reads too much like an ad:


 * "Scientific studies have been published in nine peer-reviewed medical journals, including the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Some of the Cold-fX clinical trial findings include:


 * significantly enhanced the body’s first line of defense: the Natural Killer (NK) and Macrophage immune cells
 * significantly enhanced production of cytokines which are critical to activate the body’s second line of defense, the T-lymphocytes
 * reduced the relative risk of recurrent colds and the flu
 * significantly reduced the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms
 * was safe and effective in strengthening the immune system


 * International Olympic Committee (IOC) protocol testing demonstrated that Cold-fX did not contain or induce any banned substances. "

--Coppertwig (talk) 23:22, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Deleting prod template
I took off the prod template, and put a sources template instead. I believe I've improved the article somewhat, and that it can be further improved. Some statements do not have specific references given, but apparently there are many references for this topic so I think sources can be found. You can help improve the article rather than deleting it. --Coppertwig (talk) 23:26, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Notability
What's the notability criteria relevant to obscure brands? I can't imagine there's a criteria lax enough to allow articles on arbitrary brand name dietary supplements.  Seppi  333  (Insert 2¢) 07:30, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Might be worth merging to the active ingredient American ginseng. It is notable enough. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 07:36, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that seems like a reasonable solution. I don't think it'd make much sense if this article were to be more detailed than the article on its active ingredient.  Seppi  333  (Insert 2¢) 07:43, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Will give some time for a few more to comment. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 07:48, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

agree, the references and discussions seem to be more centered on the generic than the brand itself. Ian Furst (talk) 16:30, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

COLD-FX is an extract of American ginseng, it is no longer American ginseng. It is devoid of ginsenosides found in unextracted American ginseng. It is inappropriate to place COLD-FX in the same section as American ginseng

All the quoted primary source used the actual COLD-FX extract, not on unextracted American ginseng. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.46.223.130 (talk) 22:12, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Still American ginseng. I am happy with either a merge with a redirect or leaving it here. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 23:16, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

Long list of primary sources
Have been re added here. Not really suitable. Quotes from the Seida paper are also taken out of context in an effort to present this stuff as positive. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 09:43, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Please explain how to draw summary or conclusions from a secondary review paper if not directly quoted word by word using the author's conclusions. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.46.223.130 (talk)
 * We discuss how to summarize it here. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 22:56, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

Company editing this article
Valeant Pharmaceuticals the company that makes this product appear to be editing this article per here  Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 23:25, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

Changes by IPs
So the review in CFP says "Treatment: There are no trials evaluating ginseng for treatment of the common cold." which we summarized as "There is no evidence that Cold-fX is effective in those infected with the common cold." The User:174.112.42.106 however changed it to "There is some evidence to support Cold-fX is effective in treating those infected with the common cold." which of course is definitely not what the source says. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 23:32, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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Some proposed changes
COLD-FX is a product derived from the roots of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). It was formulated by Jacqueline Shan and originally manufactured by her company, Afexa Life Sciences Inc. (formerly called CV Technologies Inc.). It was headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and subsequently, the company and lead product was acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada) in 2011.

The active ingredient in COLD-FX® Daily Support is a patented extract from North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). There is mixed reviews about the efficacy of COLD-FX®. The efficacy of this extract has been tested in clinical trials conducted in collaboration with researchers from Canadian universities. COLD-FX® has been assessed in 6 published randomized, double-blinded and placebo controlled clinical trials and 20+ published articles. In vitro and clinical studies showed that COLD-FX® helps to reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system. COLD-FX® is licensed by Health Canada as a Natural Health Product. A review by Dr. Barrett and Dr. Brown from University of Wisconsin, which was published in American Botantical Council (A North America’s leading nonprofit research and education organization on herbal medicine) concluded that the clinical research on COLD-FX® is “impressive” and promising, and these studies showed “evidence suggesting ability to prevent acute respiratory infections.”  According to Health Canada's Natural Health Product Directorate records, COLD-FX® claims to "help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system". However, there are conflicting opinions regarding the efficacy of COLD-FX® in the prevention of the common cold. Others, took a more skeptical view on the efficacy of this herbal remedy, a common issue faced by most natural supplements.

COLD-FX® has a portfolio of natural health products that provides (proactive) Daily Support (Daily Support, Extra Strength and Chewables) and Symptom Relief of cold and flu symptoms (COLD-FX® First Signs®). The original COLD-FX® products were formulated with the active ingredient extracted from North American ginseng, which has shown to have immune modulating effect. The patented extract used in COLD-FX® is one of the few natural supplements which has gone through rigorous clinical studies. Blumenthal from American Botanical Council suggested that COLD-FX® “represents a new class of herb-based therapeutic products” and is a “result of intensive scientific research on a natural herb”. Clinical studies involving more than 1600 patients, showed that the active ingredient in COLD-FX® can help reduce and prevent common cold and flu symptoms when taken daily. ,
 * Medical uses

Individuals requiring anti-coagulant therapy such as warfarin should avoid use of American ginseng. Not recommended for individuals with impaired liver or renal function. It is not recommended in those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Other adverse effects include: headaches, anxiety, trouble sleeping and an upset stomach.
 * Adverse effects

The efficacy of COLD-FX® has been covered in the media. In 2015 a class action lawsuit was launched that claimed that the manufacturer misled people. The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in 2017. The appeal on this case was dismissed in 2018. All studies posing 'significant' results on its efficacy were funded by the manufacturer. Other criticisms point out that these studies have been small scale, with conspicuously shallow participant pools and lopsided gender distributions. Researchers have pointed out that there aren't enough studies on the effects of any form of Ginseng on the common cold to form any conclusions. Scientists have argued that COLD-FX® has not been tested for its ability to treat a cold after an individual has been infected. In addition, no studies have yet been performed to assess the possible long term side effects of taking the pills every day during the cold and flu season. Afexa Life Sciences Inc. (formerly called CV Technologies Inc.), the makers of COLD-FX®, were criticized for making health claims about the product that have never been tested or verified scientifically. Up until February 2007, the company advised a regimen of 18 pills over a course of 3 days in order to obtain "immediate relief" from a cold. Health Canada's review of the scientific literature confirmed that this is not a claim that CV Technologies Inc. is entitled to make. The company formulated a separate product for this usage. A CV Technologies press release explained the change in the dosing regimen as a choice to take a two-tier approach application to Health Canada.
 * Criticism


 * External links

TekConnect (talk) 00:21, 4 October 2018 (UTC)

Reply 04-OCT-2018
This diff shows the major differences between the article as it exists now and the proposed changes on this talk page. Those changes include: Regards,  Spintendo   08:15, 4 October 2018 (UTC)
 * 1) Deletion of secondary source discussing the purported inefficacy of the product while simultaneously adding primary source documents discussing the product's purported efficacy.  Per WP:MEDRS, references to secondary sources are suggested to use.
 * 2) Numerous errors in formatting and WP:MOS adherence (e.g., the addition of ® at several points in the article, non-standard capitalization, etc.) are also preventing this text from being found acceptable.

Some proposed changes Revised
COLD-FX is a product derived from the roots of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). It was formulated by Jacqueline Shan and originally manufactured by her company, Afexa Life Sciences Inc. (formerly called CV Technologies Inc.). It was headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and subsequently, the company and lead product was acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada) in 2011.

The active ingredient in COLD-FX® Daily Support is a patented extract from North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). There is mixed reviews about the efficacy of COLD-FX. The efficacy of this extract has been tested in clinical trials conducted in collaboration with researchers from Canadian universities. COLD-FX has been assessed in 6 published randomized, double-blinded and placebo controlled clinical trials and 20+ published articles. In vitro and clinical studies showed that COLD-FX helps to reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system. COLD-FX is licensed by Health Canada as a Natural Health Product. A review by Dr. Barrett and Dr. Brown from University of Wisconsin, which was published in American Botantical Council (A North America’s leading nonprofit research and education organization on herbal medicine) concluded that the clinical research on COLD-FX is “impressive” and promising, and these studies showed “evidence suggesting ability to prevent acute respiratory infections.”  According to Health Canada's Natural Health Product Directorate records, COLD-FX claims to "help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system". However, there are conflicting opinions regarding the efficacy of COLD-FX in the prevention of the common cold. Others, took a more skeptical view on the efficacy of this herbal remedy. A common issue faced by most natural supplements such as : That there is no evidence that it is effective in those infected with the common cold,  and the effect of preventative use is not clear.


 * Medical uses

COLD-FX has a portfolio of natural health products that provides (proactive) Daily Support (Daily Support, Extra Strength and Chewables) and Symptom Relief of cold and flu symptoms (COLD-FX First Signs). The original COLD-FX products were formulated with the active ingredient extracted from North American ginseng, which has shown to have immune modulating effect. The patented extract used in COLD-FX is one of the few natural supplements which has gone through rigorous clinical studies. Blumenthal from American Botanical Council suggested that COLD-FX “represents a new class of herb-based therapeutic products” and is a “result of intensive scientific research on a natural herb”. Clinical studies involving more than 1600 patients, showed that the active ingredient in COLD-FX can help reduce and prevent common cold and flu symptoms when taken daily. ,


 * Adverse effects

Individuals requiring anti-coagulant therapy such as warfarin should avoid use of American ginseng. Not recommended for individuals with impaired liver or renal function. It is not recommended in those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Other adverse effects include: headaches, anxiety, trouble sleeping and an upset stomach.


 * Criticism

The efficacy of COLD-FX has been covered in the media. In 2015 a class action lawsuit was launched that claimed that the manufacturer misled people. The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in 2017. The appeal on this case was dismissed in 2018. All studies posing 'significant' results on its efficacy were funded by the manufacturer. Other criticisms point out that these studies have been small scale, with conspicuously shallow participant pools and lopsided gender distributions. Researchers have pointed out that there aren't enough studies on the effects of any form of Ginseng on the common cold to form any conclusions. Scientists have argued that COLD-FX has not been tested for its ability to treat a cold after an individual has been infected. In addition, no studies have yet been performed to assess the possible long term side effects of taking the pills every day during the cold and flu season. Afexa Life Sciences Inc. (formerly called CV Technologies Inc.), the makers of COLD-FX, were criticized for making health claims about the product that have never been tested or verified scientifically. Up until February 2007, the company advised a regimen of 18 pills over a course of 3 days in order to obtain "immediate relief" from a cold. Health Canada's review of the scientific literature confirmed that this is not a claim that CV Technologies Inc. is entitled to make. The company formulated a separate product for this usage. A CV Technologies press release explained the change in the dosing regimen as a choice to take a two-tier approach application to Health Canada.


 * External links

TekConnect (talk) 00:21, 4 October 2018 (UTC)
 * Sorry,, but there is concern that we should not accept copy written by paid agents for inclusion in the encyclopaedia, as this may be seen as native or deceptive advertising, and thus be illegal in the United States, the jurisdiction that governs Wikipedia. The content you propose does not read as either neutral or encyclopaedic, and appears to omit some potentially significant facts (that at least some of the university studies were financed by the company, for example). If there is some important error or omission of fact in the article, please feel free to mention it here, with the sources that support it. Edit requests that are both clear and brief (a sentence or two) are most likely to be accepted. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 10:55, 8 November 2018 (UTC)

Some proposed changes Revised -v1
Cold-fx is a product derived from the roots of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). It was formulated by Jacqueline Shan and originally manufactured by her company, Afexa Life Sciences (formerly called CV Technologies), which was acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals in 2011.

There is little evidence to support that Cold-fx is effective in the common cold. All trials have been done by the manufacturer and there has been poor data reporting. According to Health Canada's Natural Health Product Directorate records, the company claims that it may "help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system". COLD-FX is licensed by Health Canada as a Natural Health Product. The efficacy of this extract has been tested in clinical trials conducted in collaboration with researchers from Canadian universities. COLD-FX has been assessed in 6 published randomized, double-blinded and placebo controlled clinical trials and 20+ published articles

Medical uses
There is no evidence that Cold-fx is effective in those infected with the common cold. The effect of preventative use is not clear. When used preventatively it makes no difference on the rate of infections. It also appears to have no effect on how bad the infections are. There is tentative evidence that it may lessen the length of sickness when used preventatively. Blumenthal from American Botanical Council suggested that COLD-FX “represents a new class of herb-based therapeutic products” and is a “result of intensive scientific research on a natural herb”. Clinical studies involving more than 1600 patients, showed that the active ingredient in COLD-FX can help reduce and prevent common cold and flu symptoms when taken daily. ,

Adverse effects
Individuals requiring anti-coagulant therapy such as warfarin should avoid use of American ginseng. Not recommended for individuals with impaired liver or renal function. It is not recommended in those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Other adverse effects include: headaches, anxiety, trouble sleeping and an upset stomach.

Criticism
The product has not been shown to reduce the number or severity of common colds. There is tentative evidence that it may shorten colds in people who are otherwise healthy adults when taken preventatively. All studies posing 'significant' results on its efficacy were funded by the manufacturer.

Other criticisms point out that these studies have been small scale, with conspicuously shallow participant pools and lopsided gender distributions. Researchers have pointed out that there aren't enough studies on the effects of any form of ginseng on the common cold to form any conclusions.

Scientists have argued that the product has not been tested for its ability to treat a cold after an individual has been infected. No studies have yet been performed to assess the possible long term side effects of taking the pills every day during the cold and flu season. The manufacturer was criticized for making health claims about the product that have never been tested or scientifically verified. Until February 2007, the company advised a regimen of 18 pills over a course of 3 days in order to obtain "immediate relief" from a cold. Health Canada's review of the scientific literature confirmed that this is not a claim that it was entitled to make. The company formulated a separate product for this usage. A CV Technologies press release explained the change in the dosing regimen as a choice to take a two-tier approach application to Health Canada.

In 2015 a class action lawsuit was launched that claimed that the manufacturer misled people. This lawsuit was subsequently dismissed in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling. The appeal on this case has been dismissed.

Request edit on 7 June 2020
Several citations lack links/aren’t traceable. It appears that a source close to the subject has provided these citations in order to make the article trend more towards the subject’s manufacturer’s claims of their product’s effectiveness. Please provide linkable sources accessible online, such as a DOI, which reputable sources should have available.