As we continue to navigate this post-pandemic era, the topics of personal and public health matters remain as globally relevant and pressing in each of our lives as ever before. With the continued rise of upper respiratory infections (URIs) like the cold and flu, along with COVID-19, its many variants, and other “superbugs” that have become resistant to standard antibiotic treatment, our bodies seem to consistently be fighting off something nasty at any given time of the year, and the treatments we currently have available seem to grow all the more confusing, oversaturated and/or gate kept by pharmaceuticals. Add to this the fact that our existing supply of antibiotics is dwindling down rapidly, and we have a recipe for disaster.
The good news here is that there are plenty of over-the-counter (OTC), all natural remedies that have risen up to meet that need and treat these conditions more holistically — and one of them has just been proven to reduce the illness duration and symptom severity of URIs like these by an average of 1.39 days in a recent double-blind study: EZC Pak, the physician-formulated five-day tapered immune support system designed to reduce antibiotic misuse in treating colds and flus.
Created by Dr. Sarath Malepati, EZC Pak was designed and formulated utilizing datasets in each component ingredient (Echinacea, Zinc, Vitamin C and sometimes Vitamin D) that were all subsequently tested in a clinical study. “This is the first double-blind randomized control trial — the gold standard in clinical research — comparing EZC Pak’s efficacy vs. placebo,” commented Dr. Malepati. “The study’s findings support the use of EZC Pak as a readily available OTC alternative to patient requests for antibiotics when none are deemed necessary at the time of initial clinical presentation, which is the core use case EZC Pak was created to serve. In the midst of surging antibiotic resistance and the growing threat of superbugs that are wreaking havoc on our public health, this study highlights the role that EZC Pak can play in improving antibiotic stewardship in outpatient URI management in order to preserve the antibiotics we have left for cases when they are truly clinically indicated.”
We had the opportunity to discuss EZC Pak, the origin story behind it, and the results of this study in more detail with Dr. Malepati himself, who created the five-day dose pack as a solution to stop a problem he was witnessing and dealing with firsthand in his own practice with his own patients.
Tell us more about the journey that led you to today. What was the inspiration behind EZC Pak, and why do you think no one had come up with anything like it before you launched the business?
For me, it’s a fascinating story. I’m the son of doctors, and I’ve had an extensive, wide-ranging career in medicine. At some point in that career, I started seeing more infections that are most commonly treated with antibiotics but were increasingly resistant to treatment. I’d be called to see patients who had infections that were no longer amenable to antibiotics — which is a much more serious and concerning problem than most might believe — and I was compelled to find a solution.
For more context, there are many parts that can contribute to this growing problem, but the two main drivers of it are the overuse of antibiotics in our food supply and the overuse of antibiotics in our healthcare system.
That said, antibiotic resistance is also being driven by overprescribing for conditions and illnesses that don’t warrant antibiotic treatment, because these particular conditions actually don’t respond to antibiotics at all. Upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold and the flu, are major areas of antibiotic misuse. Many patients come to primary and urgent care offices requesting antibiotics for runny noses, coughs, sore throats, and earaches — all of which can be treated effectively with more conservative and/or natural measures. Antibiotics are intended for bacterial infections, not viral infections, and these medicines have lingering health implications for the individual taking them, as well as the public health at large. As a result, we’re seeing more prescribers write scripts for antibiotics under pressure to perform, and we’re seeing superbugs rise up that are resistant to conventional treatments. I was seeing this a lot with my own patients, many of whom are celebrities and entertainers on grueling schedules who need to be able to ‘bounce back’ quickly. I wanted to find a solution I could be confident in advising my own patients to pursue.
In the case of viruses, we commonly don’t have antiviral treatments available — we’re usually relegated to prescribing rest and fluids. This is largely due to the fact that viruses mutate at such a rate where, even if you can develop a product that would squash it, the virus could mutate and become resistant to treatment before you’d be able to actually try and treat it with your solution. But if we target the immune system and try to boost our natural ability to fight off infections, we will be better protected in the long run. So, that’s where I started: immune boosters.
Still, I couldn’t find any products that were effectively doing what I needed them to do. Every product I looked into had either inadequate dosage levels or were formulated with the wrong mixture of vitamins and herbs. My thought behind developing EZC Pak was to take the clinical data that was available and package it so that a patient could easily take the treatment while sick or experiencing symptoms. I then spent the next two years of my life running a clinical trial to analyze how the product worked when someone had a cold, flu, or other URI.
Speaking of the clinical trial, can you please tell us more about that?
It was a double-blind study, which means that any information that may influence or compromise the trial participants or the experiment itself is withheld from both parties (myself and the participant) until after the trial is complete. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of our five-day tapered immune support pack in the management and treatment of outpatient URIs. Over the course of nine months, 360 patients across the United States were enrolled in the publicly listed, NIH-registered clinical trial, which revealed that those with upper respiratory infections who took EZC Pak recovered 1.39 days faster (p=0.017), reported a 17.43% lower symptom severity (p=0.029), and a 2.9x higher patient satisfaction (p=0.012) versus those who received the placebo. Essentially, these results further validate the effectiveness of EZC Pak’s immune support formula and five-day tapered system as a proven, data-driven alternative to antibiotic misuse in treating colds, flus, and other URIs. Because we are backed by powerful clinical data, EZC Pak is the only over-the-counter solution that is physician-directed and readily available at pharmacies, drug stores, and online to help sick individuals recover faster without the use of antibiotics or prescription drugs.
Amazing – and congrats on such strong results. Who exactly is EZC Pak for?
Great question. EZC Pak is intended for people to use at the first signs of symptoms (fatigue, sore throat, congestion, etc.), but it can also be consumed proactively at a lower dose twice a day for illness prevention while traveling, during periods of high stress or reduced immune function and/or preventatively if someone comes into contact with someone else who is sick. It can also be used by those who are most likely to be in regular contact with infected patients, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other clinicians in urgent or acute care or primary care settings. These frontline workers are often seeing multiple patients a day who are contagious and displaying cold and flu-like symptoms. Add on the high stress, long hours, and often irregular sleep patterns from night shifts and home life, and even the strongest immune systems can become vulnerable to getting sick. With EZC Pack, everyone can follow the five-day tapered dose pack plan and boost their natural immune defenses to stay healthy even during exposure.
Oh wow. So, are you saying that EZC Pak can also be used preventatively?
Yes. The five-day tapered dose pack is designed as an over-the-counter treatment for one person once they fall sick, but if you take the ingredients in lower doses as outlined in our packaging, EZC Pak can be used in a preventative manner. We’ve also designed a travel product that’s called EZC Pak On the Go.
Are there any side effects from taking this remedy?
EZC Pak has high doses of Zinc, which you will not find in other cold and flu products but which has been proven to accelerate healing in a variety of use cases. That said, when taking high doses of Zinc, 5% -10% of patients may experience some stomach upset. In the trial, approximately 6.5% of patients complained of GI discomfort. To reduce that issue, we simply advise that all doses be taken with food.
Great point. Is there ever a fear that someone will take EZC Pak when they really should be taking antibiotics? When should someone stop taking it and consult with a physician about antibiotics?
Good question. Superbug infections are increasingly lethal – and can present themselves in a similar manner to any myriad of infections we already are familiar with and typically treat with antibiotics. That’s currently a major, if not the biggest, fear or concern. A British government-commissioned study estimates that death from drug-resistant infections may surpass cancer by 2050. There have been some instances of infections, such as urinary tract infections, that have been deemed ‘pan-resistant’ or resistant to all antibiotics we have at our disposal. While it is of course critical to continue investing in the difficult process of antibiotic drug discovery and commercial development, we have largely ignored the promotion and utilization of evidence-based alternative treatments that reduce and conserve the antibiotics we have available for when they are truly necessary. We are underappreciating the role that conserving these life-saving drugs plays in managing the drug resistance crisis. The CDC data also shows that we are writing 258 million antibiotic prescriptions per year in the outpatient setting alone. This translates to 8 antibiotic prescriptions for every 10 Americans. We are essentially ‘antibiosing’ Americans to death at the hands of the superbugs we’re promoting. So, ultimately, the impact we want to have with EZC Pak is to create a cultural shift in the way we view respiratory infections and their effective treatments/solutions so that we can preserve the effectiveness of the antibiotics we have left. If antibiotics lose their effectiveness, we will lose our best tool to treat some of the most brutal infections known to mankind, which may have irreversible effects on the future of our global health. That said, we of course always advise patients to consult with their physicians when experiencing anything worrisome or out of the norm in case antibiotics may truly be the best treatment option available.
Are there any foods, substances, or prescriptions people should stay away from while taking EZC Pak?
EZC Pak acts as an immunostimulant, which stimulates the immune system and causes a short-term boost in T-cell activity. Essentially, it activates your immune system surveillance for some sort of foreign object. This is usually not problematic, but situations where you really don’t want to activate your immune system are commonly found with autoimmune diseases where the body’s immune system attacks itself. Those who live with autoimmune diseases may want to avoid anything that could rev up or stimulate their immune system. Additionally, those who are taking prescription medications or drugs that block immune system activation should be evaluated on a more individual basis. There are spectrums of these diseases, and there’s no one true answer or one-size-fits-all approach. One example of this is rheumatoid arthritis, where many people experience virtually no dysfunction or issue but others experience significant dysfunction and have to take medication to treat it. Depending on the levels and symptoms they are experiencing, EZC Pak may still be taken and effective as a short-term boost – but, it’s reasonable to consult with your healthcare provider before making any major changes to your treatment plans.