New Study Reveals Proprietary Saw Palmetto Extract (SPET-085) Supplement Can Effectively Inhibit the Enzyme Linked to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Study Suggests that SPET-085 May Be as Active as Leading Prescription Therapy - - Euromed Committed to Clinical Research to Offer Health Conscious Patients Alternative Health Maintenance Options -
NEVILLEWOOD, Pa., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study, published in the July issue of Advances in Therapy, revealed that a novel saw palmetto extract (SPE), SPET-085, is as effective as finasteride, the standard prescription drug therapy, in blocking the critical enzyme that leads to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate, is the most common benign
proliferative disorder in men, affecting more than 50 percent of
men over the age of 70. Symptoms include urinary hesitancy, weak
urine stream, nocturia, incontinence, and recurrent urinary tract
infections.
The study, sponsored by Euromed, makers of SPET-085, evaluated the
in-vitro potency of SPET-085, an inhibitor of the 5alpha-reductase
isoenzyme type II, in a cell-free test system. It revealed that
SPET-085 can effectively inhibit the enzyme linked to BPH, at a
lower dose as compared to hexane extracts of saw palmetto,
currently regarded as the most clinically effective saw palmetto,
but unavailable in the United States. Importantly, the study
revealed that SPET-085 has bioactivity similar to finasteride, the
most commonly prescribed prescription medicine for the treatment of
BPH. Common finasteride side effects may include decreased sex
drive, impotence, or decreased ejaculate amount.
"I look forward to seeing if these interesting results in the
laboratory translate into better patient outcomes in the National
Institutes of Health-funded CAMUS study, an ongoing 18 month
clinical trial comparing this saw palmetto supplement against a
placebo for urinary symptoms attributed to benign prostatic
enlargement," said Michael J. Barry, M.D., Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School.
While finasteride is currently the most common treatment for BPH,
SPEs provide a more natural phytotherapeutic alternative to manage
symptoms of the condition. There are many types of SPEs available
today, based on a variety of extraction processes. This study
demonstrates that the approach to extraction may impact levels of
BPH-related bioactivity among the various extracts of saw
palmetto.
"The results of this study verify the high activity of our novel
saw palmetto extract, SPET-085, to help maintain healthy prostate
function," said Joe Veilleux, General Manager, Euromed USA.
"Euromed is committed to ongoing clinical research to provide
scientific evidence which will differentiate SPET-085 from other
saw palmetto extracts."
About the Study
The nicotinamide adenine dinculeotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent
membrane protein 5alpha-reductase irreversibly catalyses the
conversion of testosterone to the most potent androgen,
5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In humans, two 5alpha-reductase
isoenzymes are expressed: type I and type II. Type II is found
primarily in prostate tissue. Saw palmetto extract (SPE) has been
widely used for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms
secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The mechanisms of
the pharmacological effects of SPE include the inhibition
5alpha-reductase, among other actions. Clinical studies of SPE have
been equivocal, with some showing significant results and others
not. These inconsistent results may be due, in part, to varying
bioactivities of the SPE used in the studies.
The aim of the present study was to determine the in vitro potency
of a novel saw palmetto ethanol extract (SPET-085) an inhibitor of
the 5alpha-reductase isoenzyme type II, in a cell-free test system.
On the basis of the enzymatic conversion of the substrate
androstenedione to the 5alpha-reductase product 5alpha-
androstenedione, an inhibitory potency was measured and compared to
those of finasteride, an approved 5alpha-reductase inhibitor.
SPET-085 concentration-dependently inhibited 5alpha-reductase type
II in vitro. The approved 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride,
tested as positive control, led to 61% inhibition of
5alpha-reductase type II.
About SPET-085
Euromed saw palmetto extract, known as SPET-085, is a standardized
herbal extract of Sabal serrulata Roem et Schult fruits, a small
species of palms native to the USA. Saw palmetto extract is
commonly used to help maintain prostate health and address symptoms
associated with BPH - often referred to as enlarged prostate.
Symptoms of BPH include: urinary hesitancy, weak urine stream,
nocturia, incontinence, and recurrent urinary tract infections. The
saw palmetto extract from Euromed gives most patients some relief
of symptoms within the first 30 days of use.
About Euromed
Euromed is one of the world's most well-known and well-respected
manufacturers of standardized botanical (herbal) extracts. Euromed
extracts have been utilized in numerous human clinical studies
including those evaluating saw palmetto, milk thistle, St. John's
Wort and others. Euromed extracts are used for supplement,
pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic purposes. Euromed was
founded in 1971 as a part of the multi-national phytopharmaceutical
company MADAUS (Cologne, Germany) and since 2007 part of the
Rottapharm/Madaus Group headquartered in Monza Italy. For more
information about Euromed, please call toll free 877-696-3960 or
visit http://www.euromedusa.com/.
Source: Euromed
CONTACT: Christina Witz, MWW Group, +1-213-486-6560 x 317,
CWitz@mww.com
Web Site: http://www.euromedusa.com/
Posted: July 2010
