Probiotic and Vitamin Composition for Common Cold Symptom Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for the common cold are ineffective in shortening the duration of infection, and existing medications lack antiviral efficacy, with probiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin D individually showing no significant benefit in preventing or reducing symptoms.
Innovation Solution
A pharmaceutical composition comprising a probiotic formulation of non-pathogenic bacteria, vitamin C in the form of Ester-C®, and vitamin D, administered via various routes, including oral, inhalation, and intranasal, to enhance immune response and reduce cold symptoms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If probiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin D are administered individually, then each component is safe and well-tolerated, but none shows significant benefit in preventing or reducing common cold symptoms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines probiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin D into a single pharmaceutical composition. This merging of three separate components into one formulation allows the composition to exhibit synergistic effects that prevent or reduce common cold symptoms, overcoming the limitation where individual components showed no significant benefit.
2Reliability
If multiple separate treatments are used to address common cold symptoms, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but treatment complexity and duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging probiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin D into one composition, the patent enables comprehensive immune support to be delivered simultaneously through a single administration, rather than requiring sequential or concurrent use of multiple separate treatments.
Solution Approach 2:
The composition can be administered prophylactically before cold symptoms develop, preparing the immune system in advance. This preliminary action allows the synergistic combination to prevent cold onset or reduce severity before the full symptomatic phase begins, saving time compared to treating established symptoms.
3Reliability
If high doses of vitamin C are administered to enhance immune response, then antiviral efficacy may improve, but gastrointestinal side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses buffered vitamin C (sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate) instead of pure ascorbic acid, changing the chemical form to reduce gastrointestinal irritation. This parameter change allows for effective dosing while minimizing harmful side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The composition combines vitamin C with probiotics and vitamin D in specific ratios, creating a composite formulation where the components work synergistically. This composite approach allows for optimized dosing of vitamin C that achieves antiviral efficacy while the presence of probiotics and vitamin D may further modulate immune response and reduce side effects.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions for preventing, treating, reducing the duration, or reducing the severity of symptoms of the common cold. The pharmaceutical composition can comprise a probiotic formulation of non-pathogenic bacteria, vitamin C and vitamin D along with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or filler. A method of for preventing, treating, reducing the duration, or reducing the severity of symptoms of the common cold is also disclosed in which a patient in need of a treatment for preventing, treating, reducing the duration, or reducing the severity of symptoms of the common cold is identified. The pharmaceutical composition can then be administered orally to the patient.