WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Zak Zarbock, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and creator of ZarBee's Children's Cough Syrup, the world's first and only all natural over-the-counter cough suppressant that is truly safe and effective for children as young as 12 months old, will be speaking at the FDA's annual Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. on September 14, 2010. The topic of discussion at this year's meeting will be the abuse potential of dextromethorphan (DM, or DXM) and the public health benefits and risks of DM's use as a cough suppressant in prescription and non-prescription drug products. The Department of Health and Human Services received a request from the Drug Enforcement Administration for a scientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation for DM in response to the increased incidence of abuse, especially among adolescents. As an expert on the dangers of DM, specifically its use in pediatric drug products, Dr. Zarbock will share his insight on the subject with the assembled committee to aid in their decision regarding the future regulations of this commonly used active ingredient.
Dr. Zarbock developed ZarBee's Children's Cough Syrup out of necessity, as all other over-the-counter children's cough suppressants at the time featured DM as their active ingredient. Dr. Zarbock recognized that DM was potentially very dangerous, particularly for children under the age of four, so he set out to create a suitable alternative that would not just be effective at reducing coughs associated with upper respiratory infections, but safe especially for his younger patients. Thanks, in part, to Dr. Ian Paul's study at Penn State University clinically showing the administration of buckwheat honey to be superior to DM in children 2-18 years old, Dr. Zarbock was able to engineer an all natural formula consisting of honey, vitamin C and zinc gluconate that would safely and effectively suppress coughs in children as young as 12 months old. ZarBee's is now available at Walgreens stores nationwide.
Dr. Zarbock is available for interviews regarding the safety and efficacy of DM, the medicinal properties of honey, the story behind the creation of his critically acclaimed product, the recent McNeil Consumer Healthcare pediatric product recall, and what the outcome of the FDA's Advisory Committee meeting means to the world of over-the-counter medicine.
About Dr. Zak Zarbock
Zak Zarbock, M.D. graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Exercise Physiology and completed his medical training at The Ohio State University College of Medicine where he received awards for his outstanding academic achievement and pediatric research. He finished his pediatric internship and residency at the University of Utah and Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. He is now a practicing pediatrician at Families First Pediatrics in South Jordan, Utah, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Zak, as his patients refer to him, is featured on a weekly local news segment letting parents know "what's going around" in the community, and offering tips on how to manage common and not so common illnesses from home. He is married to his wife of 11 years and is the proud father of four handsome boys.