New Help Available for Children's Cold and Flu Season

New electrolyte replenisher introduced

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KALAMAZOO, Mich., Nov. 12, 1996 -- Pharmacia & Upjohn Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Kaopectate, announced today the introduction of Kao Lectrolyte, an electrolyte replenisher formulated to appeal to children's taste buds.

Kao Lectrolyte, an over-the-counter product, is designed to prevent dehydration due to diarrhea or vomiting in children from infancy through six years of age. These symptoms are a common result of colds or the flu. Electrolyte replenishers, a combination of water, minerals and carbohydrates, enable the body to recover more quickly from fluid loss.

"We developed Kao Lectrolyte as a good-tasting product that children will take more willingly than the current offerings so they will feel better," said Charlene Crandell, Pharmacia & Upjohn Consumer Healthcare product manager for Kao Lectrolyte. "Electrolyte solutions won't help if children won't take them."

Kao Lectrolyte comes in two flavors, grape and bubble gum. In national taste tests, children preferred Kao Lectrolyte's grape and bubble gum flavored liquids over Pedialyte's grape and bubble gum flavored liquids by nearly 3 to 1. Kao Lectrolyte is also available in unflavored for infants, to be used under a physician's guidance.

Kao Lectrolyte is packaged in four single-serving packets of premeasured powder that parents mix with water. "Unlike pre-mixed replenishers that must be discarded within 48 hours after being opened, Kao Lectrolyte's unopened packets have a three-year shelf life," said Crandell. "The introduction of Kao Lectrolyte means that parents won't have to run out in the middle of the night when their child is sick and won't have to throw away unused electrolyte replenisher because it's gone bad after one use."

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it is able to take in as a result of vomiting or diarrhea, upsetting the balance of fluids and salts that is normally maintained. This is a particular threat to infants and small children, whose loss of fluids is greater in proportion to their body weight than older children. Also, they are unable to communicate their lack of fluids effectively.

Warning signs of possible dehydration include dry mouth, lethargy, no tears when crying and decreased urination. In infants, the signs also include failure to produce a wet diaper or a sunken soft spot on the top of the head. For children under two years of age, parents should consult their pediatrician before feeding Kao Lectrolyte. Also, parents should consult their pediatrician if a child's illness persists.

Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., is a research-based pharmaceutically focused company dedicated to helping people around the world live longer and fuller lives. The company was formed through a merger of Pharmacia AB and The Upjohn Company and began operating in November 1995. Pharmacia Upjohn is a provider of human health care and related products, and operates on a global basis. The Company has a corporate management center in London and major research and manufacturing centers in the United States, Sweden and Italy.

CONTACT: Thomas J. Vance of Pharmacia & Upjohn, 616-833-5520; or Wendy Schwimmer of GCI Group, 212-546-1430