EZC Pak

Health Supplement for Immune Support

Company Information

Website:

http://ezcpak.com/

Sector:

Alternative Medicine, Health & Wellness (non-internet/mobile), Pharmaceuticals / Drugs

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

EZC Pak is a 5-day over-the-counter (OTC) immune support supplement. It is positioned and marketed as a physician-directed replacement for inappropriate antibiotic prescription drugs for upper respiratory infections (URIs) like common colds and the flu.

Prescription antibiotics are thought to be largely over-prescribed by healthcare providers. In fact, according to a 2014 WebMD survey, up to 95% of doctors admit to writing antibiotic prescriptions when they are requested and expected by ill patients, but the necessity of the prescription is unclear.

This inappropriate action can build drug-resistance within consumers: each year, there are roughly 2 million drug-resistant infections resulting in over 30,000 deaths.

EZC Pak’s opportunity is to take market share away from "Z-Pak." Z-Pak is a doctor-prescribed antibiotic. Its U.S. market size is $460 million annually. As roughly 46% of antibiotics do not meet clinical criteria for URI antibiotic prescription, this translates to a $214 million market, of which EZC Pak is aiming to absorb 2.5% in the short to medium term.

The EZC Pak is the first physician-formulated 5-day tapered immune support pack designed to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use for viral upper respiratory infections. It is a propriety, patent-pending blend of Echinacea, Zinc and Vitamin C.

As it is available over-the-counter (OTC), it is “physician directed” and not prescribed. The FDA thus classifies it as a supplement for use as a cold & cough remedy.

Targeted toward mothers aged 25-34, EZC Pak retails at $20, and yields $8.34 in profit per 5-day packet. Its distribution is via retail, online and medical businesses. As of July 2015, the company states $25,000 in sales year-to-date, mainly through retail channels.

Team Background

Sarath Malepati, MD - Founder & CEO

Malepati is the Founder & Medical Director of PPC Group, a Los Angeles-based health product design firm that owns EZC Pak.

He is a California-based General Surgeon and has previously studied, researched and taught at 15 universities nationally and internationally. He has experience managing complex infections requiring surgical intervention.

At the age of 25, Malepati was the youngest faculty member at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Previously, he was the recipient of grants from the National Institute of Health & National Science Foundation.

He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Wake Forest School of Medicine; he completed management training at the National Institute of Health Care Management.

Michael Locke - Operations

Locke is the operations advisor to EZC Pak. He is sometimes referred to as the company's "COO." He's also an angel investor in EZC, having invested $100,000.

Currently, he is VP of Manufacturing at Herbalife.

Locke graduated from Michigan State University with a dual-degree in political science & economics.

Co-Investors

Michael Locke (VP Manufacturing - Herbalife)

Ali Zamani of Gefinor Capital

Zamini is a Partner at Gefinor, which provides capital to growth oriented, innovative companies. It has capital under management through several funds, including two Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs). Typical investment size is $2 million to $5 million per transaction. Investments include Calient Technologies, SocialFlow, and MobiTV. Zamini himself was previously responsible for a $200 million to $400 million portfolio of equity and credit investments for Goldman Sachs Investment Partners.

Raising
$300K
Committed
$200K (67%)
Current Valuation
$5 million Cap / 10% Discount
Min. Investment
$25000
Offering Type
Convertible Debt
Finance History
  • $100K
    2014-08-15
    Ali Zamani from Gefinor Capital
  • $100K
    2015-01-15
    Mike Locke
Notable Investors
  • Ali Zamani of Gefinor Capital
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