The positive findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, show promise for its future development as a cold and flu remedy for children.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Canadian trial was conducted in collaboration with the University of Alberta in Canada and was designed to measure the safety and tolerability of COLD-fX for treatment of cold and flu in children.

Seventy-five children between the ages of 3 and 12 were recruited in Edmonton in the winter of 2005 to 2006 and 46 developed an upper respiratory tract infection. Within 48 hours of onset, they were randomly assigned to receive acute three-day treatments with either a placebo or COLD-fX -- at two weight-based dosage levels.

Large scale clinical studies in the next fiscal year will test for efficacy to further support the use of COLD-fX for treating colds and flu in children, the researchers said.