LONDON (ShareCast) - (ShareCast News) - Developer of the Fruitflow heart-health functional food ingredient Provexis updated the market on its collaboration agreement with the University of Oslo on Tuesday, undertaking further research into the relationship between Fruitflow and blood pressure regulation.
The AIM-traded company said that, in November 2014, it signed a two stage collaboration agreement with the University of Oslo seeking to undertake further research into the relationship between Fruitflow and blood pressure regulation.

Recent work undertaken by the university has shown that Fruitflow has a potential new bioactivity, leading to blood pressure lowering effects which would be of relevance to a large number of consumers and patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions, it reported.

The first stage of the collaboration work, completed in 2015, was focussed on developing the science, resulting in strong evidence that a standard 150mg dose of Fruitflow in powder format has the potential to give a clinically relevant reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Provexis said it and the university have now completed the second stage of the collaboration work which saw the parties conduct a small clinical trial in Oslo by way of a proof of principle study.

The study examined the acute effects of different amounts of Fruitflow in powder format on parameters relating to blood pressure, such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure and heart rate.

Those blood pressure-related parameters were monitored over a 24-hour period using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and platelet function was also measured.

The trial subjects, who were healthy with no underlying cardiovascular disease or other conditions likely to affect blood pressure, received both placebo and Fruitflow supplements in a blinded crossover design.

Results from the pilot study indicated that a 150mg dose of Fruitflow in powder format significantly lowered the average 24-hour systolic blood pressure compared to placebo, Provexis said.

When the monitoring time was split into waking and sleeping periods, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower after 150mg Fruitflow treatment than after placebo treatment during the waking period; systolic pressure was also significantly lower during the sleeping period.

Platelet response to ADP agonist was significantly reduced 24 hours after consumption of Fruitflow.

Provexis said the supplements were given in a single dose at the start of the 24-hour monitoring period, and further work was likely to be required to understand the optimal dosage pattern.

It asserted that the pilot study results show Fruitflow may have clinically relevant effects in blood pressure control.

"We are delighted to announce the results from the second stage of our collaboration work with the University of Oslo, a pilot study which indicated that a standard dose of Fruitflow in powder format significantly lowered average 24-hour systolic blood pressure compared to placebo," said Provexis chairman Dawson Buck.

"Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were shown to be significantly lower whilst trial subjects were awake, a clinically relevant reduction in blood pressure which is expected to be of interest to a large number of consumers and patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions."

Buck said the results further demonstrated that Fruitflow has the potential to play an important role across all major global markets in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

"The company expects that these encouraging blood pressure results will have a positive effect on current and future commercial negotiations for Fruitflow, and the company will seek to maximise the commercial opportunities arising from this important development for Fruitflow and the Provexis business."

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