Phytopharm Confident on Hoodia Progress
Phytopharm and Unilever said that they have become aware of many companies that are selling products over the Internet and in some stores claiming to contain Hoodia and causing weight loss.
18/02/08 Phytopharm’s hoodia extract, the company’s weight management product partnered with Unilever, continues to make good progress through the final development stage prior to registration and commercial launch, the company has said in an interim management statement.
Hoodia extract is in development as a weight management functional food product based on an extract of the succulent plant, Hoodia, which contains a novel satiety stimulator that reduces calorie intake in overweight subjects, as demonstrated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.
Extracts of Hoodia and the active molecules therein are the subject of a global patenting programme, with major patents granted in the US, UK, Europe and Japan and pending in all other major territories. The programme has successfully progressed into the final development stage of the Unilever Joint Development Agreement. This stage includes supply chain expansion and consumer studies that will evaluate reductions in calorie intake as part of a weight management programme in the general population, and is the final stage prior to submission for regulatory approval. As part of the agreement, Unilever is committed to fully funding the development programme. In addition, Phytopharm will receive an undisclosed royalty on sales of all products containing the extract. Separately, Unilever is also managing the agronomy programme, including scale up for launch, undertaking manufacturing and market research activities, and supporting the international patent programme for the products.
Phytopharm and Unilever said that they have become aware of many companies that are selling products over the Internet and in some stores claiming to contain Hoodia and causing weight loss. Analysis of these products has demonstrated that the great majority of them contain little or no Hoodia. Phytopharm and Unilever have made contact with the relevant authorities concerning this development and are satisfied with the progress being made to limit these activities.
