Göteborg 21st of September 1997

Research program (Paediatric clinic, Sahlgrenska university hospital in Göteborg)

Treatment of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with a lactic acid culture (probiotics).

A valuation of the effect of probiotics amongst children and youngsters with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) will be conducted in the whole of Sweden.

The background to this project is that four children with SMA type II and III have responded positively whence given probiotics (Probion). The effect has been noticed in the improvement of appetite and defecation pattern. The children have improved their resistance to infections and their mentally persistence has increased together with a subjective improvement of the motor force.

The study will be a double blind cross over study with 3 months treatment with placebo respectively the active substance. In between there will be a wash out period in one month

Importance: This study will try to give an answer if there are exogene factors e.g. intestinal flora (immunomodulating) may have a mean in the SMA disease.

Research program (Medical clinic div. gastroenterology Sahlgrenska university hospital)

Probiotics influence on symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, colon irritabile) and possible relation to S-homocystein and S-insulin.

Background: There is a probiotic product called Probion bifido in the Swedish market. It has been used in many years and there are subjective reports it has improved function of the digestion. This study will try to show more objectively if there is an improvement amongst women with the diagnosis IBS.

The study will be a double blind cross over study. The first eight weeks one group of the individuals will get placebo tablets and the other will get the probiotics. In between there will be wash out period in eight weeks, before the cross over. The study will be conducted under a period of 18-24 months.

TECHNOLOGY OFFER

SUMMARY: The potential for prebiotics and probiotics (lactic acid cultures) as alimentary or pharmaceutical products is enormous and the product is already distributed on the market.

The company has developed a new tableting method which improves the quality and viability of these lactic acid cultures more than 5-fold. Due to the increasing market, this tableting process has a large number of potential customers.

THE TECHNOLOGY

The innovative aspect of this process is the use of both prebiotics and probiotics in a tablet. Probiotics is defined as health promoting lactic acid bacterial cultures, and can be found in e.g. yoghurt. Different drying methods to stabilise the cultures are used to keep the quality during a longer time. This is essential for the production of tablets, powder or capsules.

This method of tableting has the advantage of better preserving the quality of the cultures since it involves less pressure and heat development.

The use of the tablets has the advantage of being less expensive compared to powder in single dosage bags and its dissolution is easier to control. Compared to capsules tablets are 5-fold less expensive to produce. Capsules derive from gelatine made from animal fat and contain 15% humidity which is detrimental for the cultures.

DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT

The technology is fully developed and the product exists on the Swedish market. The method has passed the Patent Corporation Treaty in Munich and it is in the process of being exploited. Nation wide patents are to be applied in the coming 5 months.

PARTNERS SOUGHT

*Producers and retailers of pharmaceutical products, food supplements and health food products.

*Parties interested in co-operation.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

This Swedish firm works with product development of probiotics.

For further information please contact:

IRC Western and Southern Sweden, Max Maupoix +46-31-7066000

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