Health Enhancement Products Announces Start of Canine Joint Health Testing and Phase Two Synthetic Development Program
March 17 2014 - 9:38AM
Marketwired
Health Enhancement Products Announces Start of Canine Joint Health
Testing and Phase Two Synthetic Development Program
KEEGO HARBOR, MI--(Marketwired - Mar 17, 2014) - Health
Enhancement Products, Inc. (OTCQB: HEPI), a Michigan-based biotech
firm investigating bioactive compounds extracted from algal
cultures, is pleased to announce the kickoff of a study to gauge
the efficacy of its candidate compounds in addressing canine joint
health, a condition that affects the quality of life for millions
of pet and working dogs around the world. The canine joint health
supplement market segment represents $300 million in annual sales
in the US alone.
Contract research organization Charles River, sited in Montreal,
Quebec, will be conducting the study on behalf of the Company. The
firm conducts large-scale clinical studies for a variety of
institutions, both public and private. The study has been
contracted, and preparations are underway for an immediate
start.
With the results of this study and data from a parallel canine
study being conducted by Covance and other, previous findings, the
Company intends to approach brand-name animal health companies
with the intent to jointly develop a canine dietary supplement, and
potentially a future pharmaceutical treatment to protect
cartilage.
This follows the Company's stated strategy of entering into
collaborative agreements with larger, well-established partners
early in the development cycle, hastening the process of
introducing naturally-derived products to market. In December of
2013, the Company executed a collaboration/option agreement with a
global animal health company to accelerate the validation of a
potential bovine mastitis treatment.
The canine studies provide an opportunity to further validate
the production processes which create the natural bioactive
compounds, and at the same time, test the suitability of synthetic
molecules in development. The natural bioactives are
closely-related small molecular entities (SMEs) with similar
structure and bioactivity, previously validated in various
experiments conducted by independent researchers at universities
and private laboratories. As disclosed previously, the Company
believes these discovered SME's to be bioactive, and is using the
synthetic molecules to prove out the structure of the natural
compounds. The Company kicked off a synthetic development
program in mid-September of 2013. Early testing showed mixed
results, and the Company's research chemists are now starting a new
phase of development.
"Synthetic development is a big step, but to our advantage, it
serves two purposes," stated Amy Steffek, Ph.D., Health Enhancement
Director of Research & Development. "We work to validate the
3-dimensional structure of our natural compounds, and to create a
lead compound for further development by our pharma partners. As a
small biotech, we don't have the resources to take a lead compound
through the entire drug development process. The strategy is to
conduct early validation, get the intellectual property protected
and license the lead compound to a larger entity better positioned
to take it to the finish line."
Early results for the canine joint health study are expected in
May.
About Health Enhancement Products, Inc.
Health Enhancement Products, Inc. (OTCQB: HEPI) is a
Michigan-based biotech company engaged in the investigation of the
health benefits of bioactive compounds derived from its proprietary
algal cultures, and the development of natural bioactive compounds
for use as dietary supplements and food ingredients, as well as
biologics and synthetic candidates for medicinal and pharmaceutical
applications in humans and animals, specifically focused on
autoimmune modulation.
Safe Harbor Statement
Except for any historical information, the matters discussed in
this press release contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors
could cause actual results to differ from those indicated in the
forward-looking statements, including the timing of completion of a
trial, actual future clinical trial results being different than
the results the company has obtained to date, and the company's
ability to secure funding. Such statements are subject to a number
of assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that
such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those
actual results or developments may differ materially from those set
forth in the forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information or otherwise.
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