01.01.09
COLD-fX—derived from North American ginseng—from CV Technologies, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, will be the focus of a study sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) involving chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. The double-blind, placebo- controlled trial, involving more than 300 subjects, will be completed over a single cold and flu season. American cancer and infectious disease experts at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina will conduct the trial. Participants will take 400 mg of COLD-fX per day or a placebo over the 2008/2009 cold and flu season. The trial will examine the effectiveness of COLD-fX in preventing acute respiratory infections and reducing antibiotic use during the three-month period from January to April 2009. The researchers will also study the duration and severity of acute respiratory infections, all other incidences of infection, antibiotic utilization, chronic lymphocytic leukemia disease activity, and parameters related to immune health.