Bionutrics launches cholesterol clinical trials
clinical trials for its newly formulated dietary supplements
designed to address lipid metabolism and help maintain a normal
level of cholesterol.
The company noted that these supplements - which it has recently finished formulating - are the first in a series of new products.
It now expects to begin a human, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial in January to confirm the effectiveness of the first of the products to be launched on the market.
"We are hopeful of the outcome of the clinical trials for this series of products. Success of these trials will give Bionutrics an opportunity to generate revenue while pursuing its longer term drug development program with Nostrum Pharmaceuticals," said Ron Lane, the president of Bionutrics.
The company was, however, unable to release any further details about the products in question.
"We are in the process of filing patents for the supplements and hope to give out more information about them in the second quarter of next year," was all Lane would tell NutraIngredientsUSA.com.
The company hope eventually to market the products worldwide.
Bionutrics already markets "evolvE", a supplement said to help maintain normal cholesterol levels, promote normal cirulation and act as a powerful antioxidant in conjunction with a low fat, low cholesterol diet and exercise.
evolvE is made from Clearesterol, which the company decribes as a vitamin E tocotrienol complex found in rice bran.
Heart disease - as the nation's single leading cause of death - is one of the US's top health concerns and is becoming big business for the supplement industry.
About 37 million American adults suffer from cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher, according to the American Heart Association. This is the point at which a cholesterol level becomes a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke. The association recommends that a person's total cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dL and the HDL (good) cholesterol should be 40 mg/dL or higher.
Cholesterol is a key component in the development of artherosclerosis, the accumulation of fatty deposits on the inner lining of arteries. Mainly as a result of this, cholesterol increases the risks of heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation, almost one fifth (18 per cent) of global stroke events (mostly nonfatal events) and about 56 per cent of global heart disease are attributable to total cholesterol levels above 3.2 mmol/l. This amounts to about 4.4 million deaths (7.9 per cent of the total) and 2.8 per cent of the global disease burden.
The American Heart Association and National Cholesterol Education Program recommends a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in soluble fiber and plant sterols to help individuals reduce their risk of heart disease.
