Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘functional dyspepsia’

Landmark Study on FDgard® (COLM-SST) for Functional Dyspepsia

Posted in Metabolism, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements: Atherogenesis, lipid metabolism, Patient Experience, Patient Outlook, Patient-centered Medicine, Voices of Patients and Healthcare Providers, tagged , , , , on May 10, 2019| Leave a Comment »

PEER-REVIEWED MEDICAL JOURNAL PUBLISHES LANDMARK STUDY ON EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF FDgard® (COLM-SST), DEMONSTRATING RAPID REDUCTION OF FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA (FD OR RECURRING, MEAL-TRIGGERED INDIGESTION) SYMPTOMS WITHIN 24 HOURS

  • FDgard® (COLM-SST), a solid-state microsphere formulation of caraway oil and l-Menthol, taken daily and proactively 30-60 minutes before meals, showed statistically significant, rapid reduction of Functional Dyspepsia (FD) symptoms within 24 hours and, additionally, relief of severe FD symptoms.
  • FDREST™ clinical trial with FDgard represents an important medical advance, as no previous trials have shown rapid relief of FD symptoms. There are no approved products for this highly prevalent condition.
  • In FDREST, patients received greater and more durable benefits with the addition of FDgard taken daily and proactively to their typical medical regimen.
  • FDREST is the first clinical trial in FD to use patented, Site Specific Targeting (SST®) technology to deliver the FDgard formulation to the upper belly (duodenum), the primary site of disturbance in FD.
  • FDgard represents an effective, safe and well-tolerated option to address the unmet medical needs of millions of adults with FD.

Reporter: Gail S. Thornton

Boca Raton Fl., – (April 30, 2019) – IM HealthScience today announced that Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology (CTG), a peer-reviewed medical journal, has published the U.S. results of a landmark, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, FDREST™ (Functional Dyspepsia Reduction Evaluation and Safety Trial), which showed statistically significant, rapid reduction of Functional Dyspepsia (FD or recurring, meal-triggered indigestion) symptoms within 24 hours and, additionally, relief of severe FD symptoms.

The study, entitled “A Novel, Duodenal-Release Formulation of a Combination of Caraway Oil and L-Menthol for the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” is now available to the public via open access on the Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology website. Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, published on behalf of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), is dedicated to innovative clinical work in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology.

The FDREST study demonstrated that patients who took COLM-SST (FDgard®) on a daily and proactive basis, 30 to 60 minutes before meals, along with commonly used off-label FD medications versus patients who took placebo along with commonly used off-label FD medications, experienced a statistically significant, rapid reduction of FD symptoms within 24 hours across the FD study population.

This study had a higher hurdle than previous studies on a similar combination of ingredients. Firstly, concomitant medications for FD symptoms were allowed in order to assess FDgard in a real-world setting. Second, only a subgroup of patients in FDREST was categorized into the high-symptom burden, while they constituted the entire groups in previous studies. Among this subgroup of patients with the high-symptom burden, FDgard showed efficacy at 24 hours. In spite of the polypharmacy and use of rescue medications for FD, after 48 hours of first dose, FDgard helped further improve symptoms at 4 weeks, especially in those high-symptom burden patients. In all cases, FDgard was safe and well-tolerated.  

The study results of FDREST were first presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW), the largest gathering of gastroenterologists, in May 2017.

Study Commentary

Commenting on the study, lead author William Chey, M.D., FACG, Director in the Division of Gastroenterology, Michigan Medicine Gastroenterology Clinic, Ann Arbor, said, “This landmark study was designed to answer a very important scientific question about the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of a novel and innovative formulation of caraway oil and l-Menthol designed as solid state, enteric coated microspheres for targeted duodenal release for FD. In patients taking their usual medications for FD, FDgard was found to be effective, safe and well tolerated in rapidly reducing symptoms and in relieving severe symptoms.” Chey continued, “The positive finding at 24 hours is clinically important as symptoms are often triggered by a meal and patients are looking for rapid relief of those symptoms.”

The study authors also cited the importance of utilizing the microsphere-based site-specific targeting of FDgard (caraway oil and l-Menthol, the active ingredient in peppermint oil) to the duodenum. They wrote, “This site (duodenum) was targeted primarily due to mounting evidence that gastroduodenal mucosal integrity and low-grade inflammation play a role in FD. Furthermore, studies have shown that caraway oil and peppermint oil act on the duodenum to induce smooth muscle relaxation, and that l-Menthol has anti-inflammatory effects.” This may help normalize motility effects.

About FDREST™

FDREST™ (Functional Dyspepsia Reduction and Evaluation Safety Trial) was a multi-centered, post-marketing, parallel group, U.S-based study conducted at seven university-based or gastroenterology research-based centers (study period July 1, 2015, to September 14, 2016). The study was designed to compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of FDgard plus commonly used, off-label medications for FD vs. a control group of placebo plus commonly used, off-label medications prescribed for FD.

Ninety-five patients were enrolled (mean age = 43.4 years; 75.8 percent women). At 24 hours, the active arm reported a statistically significant reduction in Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) symptoms (P = 0.039), and a nonsignificant trend toward benefit of Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) symptoms (P = 0.074). In patients with more severe symptoms, approximately three-quarters showed substantial global improvement (i.e., clinical global impressions) after 4 weeks of treatment vs. half in the control arm. These differences were statistically significant for patients with EPS symptoms (epigastric pain or discomfort and burning) (P = 0.046), and trending toward significance for patients with PDS symptoms (early satiety, abdominal heaviness, pressure and fullness) (P = 0.091). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for Global Overall Symptom scores for the overall population at 2 and 4 weeks.

Dr. Chey said, “The results of this high-quality study highlight an advance in the management of FD, as current off-label medications such as PPIs, H2RAs and antidepressants offer only a modest level of therapeutic gain over placebo and may be associated with adverse events, especially with continued use. FDgard addresses a significant unmet medical need for a product to help manage symptoms in the 1 in 6 adults suffering from this common disorder.”

About Functional Dyspepsia (FD)

Functional dyspepsia is a very common disorder affecting 11 percent – 29.2 percent of the world’s population1, making it comparable in prevalence to IBS. However, unlike IBS, there is no FDA approved product to treat FD. Sufferers are often treated off-label with prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine type-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), antidepressants, and prokinetics. While offering relief to a portion of FD patients, some of these have been associated with adverse events. Functional dyspepsia can have a negative effect on workplace attendance and productivity, with associated costs estimated in excess of $18 billion annually.2

In FD, which is typically recurring, meal-triggered indigestion with no known organic cause, the normal digestive processes are disrupted along with digestion and absorption of food nutrients. FD is accompanied by symptoms such as epigastric pain or discomfort, epigastric burning, postprandial fullness, inability to finish a normal sized meal, heaviness, pressure, bloating in the upper abdomen, nausea, and belching. When doctors diagnose FD, they often identify patients as those who have these symptoms for at least three months, with symptom onset six months previously.

About FDgard®

FDgard® is a nonprescription medical food designed to address the unmet medical need for products to help manage Functional Dyspepsia (FD or recurring, meal-triggered indigestion) and its accompanying symptoms.  FDgard capsules contain caraway oil and l-Menthol, the primary component in peppermint oil, for the dietary management of FD. These two main ingredients are specially formulated to be available in a solid state.  With patented Site Specific Targeting (SST®) technology pioneered by IM HealthScience, FDgard capsules release individually triple-coated, solid-state microspheres of caraway oil and l-Menthol quickly and reliably where they are needed most in FD — the duodenum or upper belly. The l-Menthol helps with smooth muscle relaxation and provides analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities.3–5 Caraway oil helps mitigate the effect of gastric acid on the stomach wall and also helps to normalize gallbladder function and may help to normalize motility in the small intestine (primarily the duodenum) and in the stomach.6,7 In addition to caraway oil and l-Menthol, FDgard also provides fiber and amino acids (from gelatin protein). These ingredients have additional positive effects on the gut wall and thus help toward normalizing digestion and absorption.            

Caraway oil and peppermint oil have a history of working in FD. In multiple clinical studies, the combination of caraway oil and peppermint oil has been shown to manage FD and its accompanying symptoms, such as reducing the intensity of epigastric pain, pain frequency, dyspeptic discomfort, and the intensity of sensations of pressure, abdominal heaviness and fullness significantly better than control.8,9 Cisapride, no longer an FDA-approved pro-motility drug after its removal from the market in 2000 due to cardiovascular side effects, was shown to have efficacy similar to a caraway oil/peppermint oil formulation10.

Complete and final results from a real-world, observational study of 600 patients who took FDgard, called FDACT™ (Functional Dyspepsia Adherence and Compliance Trial), were selected after peer review and presented by William D. Chey, M.D., FACG, at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG 2017 in Orlando, Florida. The data showed there was a consistently high level of patient satisfaction and rapid improvement of FD symptoms with the product. A majority of patients (95 percent) reported major or moderate improvement in their overall FD symptoms, while many patients (86.4 percent) indicated experiencing relief from symptoms within 2 hours after taking FDgard. The findings from FDACT substantiate the data reported in FDREST.

The usual adult dose of FDgard is 2 capsules, as needed, up to two times a day, not to exceed six capsules per day. Many physicians are now recommending taking FDgard daily and proactively 30-60 minutes before a meal, as this enables the supportive effect of FDgard to start as early as possible. While FDgard does not require a prescription and is available in retail outlets and online, it is a medical food that should be used under medical supervision.

About IM HealthScience®

IM HealthScience® (IMH) is the innovator of IBgard®and FDgard®for the dietary management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Functional Dyspepsia (FD or recurring, meal-triggered indigestion), respectively. In 2017, IMH added Fiber Choice®, a line of prebiotic fibers, to its product line via an acquisition. The sister subsidiary of IMH, Physician’s Seal®, also provides REMfresh®,

a well-known continuous release and absorption melatonin (CRA-melatonin™) supplement for sleep.

IMH is a privately held company based in Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in 2010 by a team of highly experienced pharmaceutical research and development and management executives. The company is dedicated to developing products to address overall health and wellness, especially in digestive health conditions with a high unmet medical need. The IM HealthScience advantage comes from developing products based on its patented, targeted-delivery technologies called Site Specific Targeting (SST). For more information, visit www.imhealthscience.com to learn about the company, or www.IBgard.com,

 www.FDgard.com, www.FiberChoice.com, and www.Remfresh.com.

References

1.        Mahadeva S, Goh KL. Epidemiology of functional dyspepsia. A global perspective. World J Gastroenterol. 2006. doi:10.3748/wjg.v12.i17.2661.

2.        Lacy BE, Weiser KT, Kennedy AT, Crowell MD, Talley NJ. Functional dyspepsia: the economic impact to patients. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013;38(May):170-177. doi:10.1111/apt.12355.

3.        Amato A, Liotta R, Mulè F. Effects of menthol on circular smooth muscle of human colon: Analysis of the mechanism of action. Eur J Pharmacol. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.018.

4.        Liu B, Fan L, Balakrishna S, Sui A, Moris JB, Jordt S-E. TRPM8 is the Principal Mediator of Menthol-induced Analgesia of Acute and Inflammatory Pain. Pain. 2013;154(10):2169-2177. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2013.06.043.TRPM8.

5.        Juergens U, Stober M, Vetter H. The anti-inflammatory activity of L-menthol compared to mint oil in human monocytes in vitro: a novel perspective for its therapeutic use in inflammatory diseases. Eur J Med Res. 1998;3(12):539-545.

6.        Alhaider A, Al-Mofleh I, Mossa J, Al-Sohaibani M, Rafatullah S, Qureshi S. Effect of Carum carvi on experimentally induced gastric mucosal damage in Wistar albino rats. Int J Pharmacol. 2006;2(3):309-315.

7.        Micklefield G, Jung O, Greving I, May B. Effects of intraduodenal application of peppermint oil (WS 1340) and caraway oil (WS 1520) on gastroduodenal motility in healthy volunteers. Phyther Res. 2003;17:135-140. doi:10.1002/ptr.1089.

8.        May B, Köhler S, Schneider B. Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2000;14:1671-1677. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2036.2000.00873.x.

9.        Rich G, Shah A, Koloski N, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the effects of Menthacarin, a proprietary peppermint- and caraway-oil-preparation, on symptoms and quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2017;29(May):e13132. doi:10.1111/nmo.13132.

10.      Madisch A, Heydenreich C, Wieland V, Hufnagel R, Hotz J. Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia with a Fixed Peppermint Oil and Caraway Oil Combination Preparation as Compared to Cisapride – A multicenter, reference-controlled double-blind equivalence study. Arzneimittelforsch Drug Res. 1999;49(II):925-932.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice of a physician or other health care professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing a health problem or disease. While medical foods do not require prior approval by the FDA for marketing, they must comply with regulations. It should not be assumed that medical foods are alternatives for FDA-approved drugs. Only doctors can definitively diagnose functional dyspepsia. Use under medical supervision. The company will strive to keep information current and consistent but may not be able to do so at any specific time. Generally, the most current information can be found on www.fdgard.com. Individual results may vary.

Other related articles were published in this Open Access Online Scientific Journal include the following:

2017

Series D: BioMedicine & Immunology https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/biomed-e-books/series-d-e-books-on-biomedicine/

2015

The relationship of stress hypermetabolism to essential protein need

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/10/25/the-relationship-of-stress-hypermetabolism-to-essential-protein-needs/

Liposomes, Lipidomics and Metabolism

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/11/02/liposomes-lipidomics-and-metabolism/

Read Full Post »

Results of New Clinical Data Presented at Digestive Week (DDW), Symptom Reduction and Rapid Pain Relief of Functional Dyspepsia with FDgard®

Posted in Biochemical pathways, Gastroenterology, tagged , , , , on May 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Results of New Clinical Data Presented at Digestive Week (DDW), Symptom Reduction and Rapid Pain Relief of Functional Dyspepsia with FDgard®

Reporter: Gail S. Thornton, MA

 

RESULTS OF NEW CLINICAL DATA PRESENTED AT DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK (DDW), A PREMIER GASTROENTEROLOGY MEETING, SHOW UNPRECEDENTED SYMPTOM REDUCTION AND RAPID RELIEF OF FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA (FD – PERSISTENT OR RECURRING INDIGESTION) WITH FDgard®, A NEW PRODUCT FOR THIS CONDITION

 First-ever clinical study highlights an advance in the management of Functional Dyspepsia (FD) with FDgard®, a new, non-prescription medical food specially formulated for the dietary management of FD

  • In FD patients, FDgard® significantly reduced symptoms of FD in as early as 24 hours
  • Data showed FDgard®, as an add-on product, improved FD symptoms in patients already using commonly used, off-label medications prescribed for FD
  • Functional Dyspepsia, known for its symptoms of persistent or recurring indigestion, impacts an estimated 1 in 6 adults in the U.S.
  • This medical advance is important because there are no approved products for FD

 CHICAGO – (May 8, 2017) – Landmark clinical data highlight an advance in the management of Functional Dyspepsia (FD) with FDgard®, the only product available for the dietary management of FD. FDgard® demonstrated unprecedented symptom reduction and rapid relief of FD symptoms in patients in only 24 hours. This data was presented during Digestive Disease Week (DDW), a premier gastroenterology meeting.

FDgard® showed effective symptom reduction and rapid relief of FD symptoms in a sub-group of FD patients with Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS, which is epigastric pain or burning) and Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS, which is early fullness, pressure and heaviness). Additionally, the study findings showed that FDgard® as an add-on product improved FD symptoms in patients already using commonly used, off-label medications prescribed for FD, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine receptor 2 antagonists (H2RAs), anticonvulsants, antibiotics, antihistamines, antidepressants, and antacids as rescue medications (permitted no more than three doses per week).

FD is often characterized as persistent or recurring indigestion with no known organic cause and is an area of high unmet medical need. Currently, off-label medications are used to treat FD as there is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmaceutical product for the condition.

Data from the landmark, multi-centered, post-marketing, parallel group, U.S-based study, entitled FDREST™ (Functional Dyspepsia Reduction and Evaluation Safety Trial), showed that patients with FD who received FDgard® versus a control arm of placebo plus commonly used, off-label FD medications experienced a statistically significant reduction in Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) symptoms and near statistical significance in Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) symptoms at 24 hours. In spite of the polypharmacy and use of rescue medications after 48 hours of first dose, FDgard® helped further improve symptoms at 4 weeks.

Specifically, the FDREST™ study showed that at 24 hours, FDgard® improved FD symptoms in patients and provided rapid and significant reduction in EPS and PDS symptoms in the PDS sub-group as well as a statistically significant reduction in EPS and PDS symptoms in the EPS sub-group. At 4 weeks, approximately 75 percent of the EPS and PDS patients in the FDgard® arm reported substantial symptom improvement vs. approximately half in the control arm.

An estimated 62 percent of FD patients suffer from EPS, while an estimated 73 percent of FD patients suffer from PDS. The overlap of EPS and PDS, which are those FD patients who suffer from both syndromes, is estimated to be 35 percent.[1]

FDgard® is specially formulated for the dietary management of FD, which is persistent or recurring indigestion. It is the first product using a patented, breakthrough technology called Site Specific Targeting (SST®) to deliver individually triple-coated, solid-state microspheres of caraway oil and l-Menthol, the primary component in peppermint oil, quickly and reliably where they are needed most in FD — the upper belly.

The three posters with data from the FDREST™ study were selected for presentation at DDW on Saturday, May 6, 2017.

“These study results are uniquely important and represent an advance in the management of Functional Dyspepsia,” said Michael S. Epstein, M.D., F.A.C.G., A.G.A.F., a leading gastroenterologist and Chief Medical Advisor for IM HealthScience®. “We believe that FDgard® possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and gastro-protective properties, which likely are responsible for the rapid relief and steady improvement of FD symptoms in patients even when used as an add-on therapy to commonly used, off-label medications to treat FD, as demonstrated in the FDREST™ study. In particular, many FD symptoms flare within 2 hours after a meal, so the fast action seen in this FDgard® study is an important advance.”

 

FDREST™ Results

“Functional dyspepsia can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life,” said

William D. Chey, M.D., F.A.C.G., the lead study author and Director in the Division of Gastroenterology, Michigan Medicine Gastroenterology Clinic, Ann Arbor, Michigan. “These study results suggest that FDgard® can provide rapid relief to a subset of patients with functional dyspepsia – a condition for which there are few effective treatments.”

Analysis of FDREST™ data showed that treatment with FDgard® resulted in:

Change in Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) and Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) Symptoms In Overall Participants at 24 hours:

  • 14% improvement of EPS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Close to statistical significance compared to the control group (P=0.0737).
  • 9.9% reduction of PDS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Statistically significant compared to the control group (P=0.0393).

 

Change in Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) and Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) Symptoms In PDS Group at 24 hours:

  • 19.5% reduction of EPS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Statistically significant compared to the control group (P=0.0121).
  • 15.8% reduction of PDS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Statistically significant compared to the control group (P=0.0225).

 

Change in Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) and Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) Symptoms In EPS Group at 24 hours:

  • 20.7% reduction of EPS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Statistically significant compared to the control group (P=0.0028).
  • 13.2% reduction of PDS symptoms from baseline at 24 hours. Statistically significant compared to the control (P=0.0186).

 

Change in the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI, a measure of symptom severity, treatment response and treatment efficacy):

  • At the end of treatment, 77.7% of PDS patients and 72.2% of EPS patients reported either a “much” or “very much” improved assessment of the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale, compared to 50% (P=0.09) and 40% (P=0.046) in the control groups, respectively.
  • EPS patients had a statistically significant reduction in epigastric pain or discomfort symptoms at 24 hours and were objectively better, although measures did not reach statistical significance, compared to the control group, in all measures at 2-14 days and 15-28 days.
  • PDS patients had a statistically significant reduction in sensations of pressure, heaviness, or fullness compared with the control group at 24 hours and were objectively better, although measures did not reach statistical significance, compared to the control group, in all measures at 2-14 days and 15-28 days.

 

Study Design

FDREST™ (Functional Dyspepsia Reduction and Evaluation Safety Trial) was a multi-centered, post-marketing, parallel group, U.S-based study conducted at eight university-based or gastroenterology research-based centers in the U.S. (study period July 1, 2015, to September 14, 2016). The study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of FDgard®, plus commonly used FD medications vs a control group of placebo plus commonly used, off-label medications prescribed for FD.

  • There were 100 study participants (76% female; 24% male), aged 18-60 (mean age 43.4 years), with symptoms of FD, all of whom met Rome III criteria for FD.
  • They were selected if they met one or both of the following criteria, based on symptoms:
    • Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS, early fullness, pressure and heaviness) – Bothersome postprandial fullness or early satiation at least 3 days per week
    • Epigastric Distress Syndrome (EPS, epigastric pain or burning) – Bothersome epigastric pain or burning at least 1 day per week.
  • They had to have at least moderate symptoms (≥4 points on either question of the 7-point Global Overall Symptoms (GOS) scale on at least 4 days during a 14-day screening period. The GOS scale is a self-reported 7-point scale, adapted from a previously validated 5-point scale. With this scale, patients are asked to grade the overall severity of their dyspepsia symptoms, as defined as upper abdominal symptoms over a certain period of time.
  • The study also showed an improvement at 4 weeks in the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) Scale, a physician-administered measure of symptom severity, treatment response and treatment efficacy.
  • In the trial, study participants took two capsules of FDgard® or matching placebo in the morning and at dinner time 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. FDgard® or placebo was added to each patients existing FD medication regimen, which included proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine receptor 2 antagonists (H2RAs), anticonvulsants, beta blockers, antihistamines, antidepressants/tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), pain modulators, antacids, and/or antibiotics. In addition, rescue medications (including prokinetics, antiemetics, anticholinergics, laxatives, antidiarrheals, misoprostol, oral antibiotics, probiotics, calcium channel antagonists, NSAIDs, aspirin (>81 mg per day), antispasmodics, narcotic analgesics, sedative hypnotic agents and other medications that may affect the study) were allowed 48 hours after the first dose, if approved by the medical monitor.
  • Over the course of the study, no serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported.

 

About Functional Dyspepsia (FD)

Approximately 30 percent of adults suffer from dyspepsia, and about half are estimated to have FD, or non-ulcer dyspepsia.[2] This condition can have a negative effect on workplace attendance and productivity, with associated costs estimated in excess of $18 billion annually.[3]

In FD, which is persistent or recurring indigestion, the normal digestive processes are disrupted along with the digestion and absorption of food nutrients. FD is accompanied by symptoms, such as epigastric pain or discomfort, epigastric burning, postprandial fullness, early satiation, bloating in the upper abdomen, nausea and belching. When doctors diagnose FD, they often identify patients as follows: patients should have these symptoms for at least three months with symptom onset six months previously.

 About FDgard® 

FDgard® is medical food designed to address an unmet medical need for products to help in managing FD, which is persistent or recurring indigestion and its accompanying symptoms.  FDgard® capsules contain caraway oil and l-Menthol, the primary component in peppermint oil, for the dietary management of Functional Dyspepsia (FD). With its patented Site Specific Targeting (SST®) technology, pioneered by IM HealthScience®, FDgard® capsules release individually triple-coated, solid-state microspheres of caraway oil and l-Menthol quickly and reliably where they are needed most in FD — the upper belly. The l-Menthol helps with smooth muscle relaxation and caraway oil helps mitigate the effect of gastric acid on the stomach wall and also helps to normalize gallbladder function as well as deliver promotility and analgesic action in the small intestine (the duodenum) and the stomach.[4] [5] [6] In addition to caraway oil and l-Menthol, FDgard® also provides fiber and amino acids (from gelatin protein). These ingredients have additional positive effects on the gut wall and, thus, help toward normalizing digestion and absorption.

Caraway oil and peppermint oil have a history of working in FD. In multiple clinical studies, the combination of caraway oil and peppermint oil has been shown to manage FD and its accompanying symptoms, such as reducing the intensity of epigastric pain, pain frequency, dyspeptic discomfort and reducing the intensity of sensations of pressure, abdominal heaviness and fullness…significantly better than placebo. A randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study in Europe[7], previously conducted with the same endpoints and measurements as used in FDREST™, had shown the effectiveness of caraway oil and peppermint oil (l-Menthol) in managing FD symptoms. This study was rated as the highest-quality study on the Jadad scale with a rating of 5, which independently assesses the methodological quality of a clinical trial, and is the most widely used assessment in the world.  The study had used the older single-unit, oil-filled capsule technology, which has challenges in rapid and targeted delivery. Targeted delivery to the upper belly is desirable as recent studies have identified this as the area of disturbance in FD. With SST®, it has now become possible to deliver the combination of caraway oil and peppermint oil (l-Menthol) to this site.

The usual adult dose of FDgard® is 2 capsules, as needed, up to two times a day, not to exceed six capsules per day. While FDgard® does not require a prescription, it must be used under medical supervision, since it is a medical food. FDgard® is available to patients in the digestive aisle at most Rite Aid, CVS/pharmacy and Walgreens stores nationwide.

 

About IM HealthScience®

IM HealthScience® (IMH) is the innovator of IBgard® and FDgard® for the dietary management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Functional Dyspepsia (FD), respectively. It is a privately held company based in Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in 2010 by a team of highly experienced pharmaceutical research and development and management executives. The company is dedicated to developing products to address gastrointestinal issues where there is a high unmet need. The IM HealthScience® advantage comes from developing products based on its patented, targeted-delivery technologies called Site Specific Targeting (SST®). For more information, visit www.imhealthscience.com to learn about the company, or www.IBgard.com or www.FDgard.com.

 

Data Presented at DDW Poster Session on Functional Dyspepsia, Nausea and Vomiting

Saturday, May 6, 2017

  • (Poster Session #Sa1618) Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy & Safety of Caraway Oil/L-Menthol plus Usual Care Polypharmacy vs. Placebo plus Usual Care Polypharmacy for Functional Dyspepsia 
    • Dr. William Chey, Dr. Brian Lacy, Dr. Brooks Cash, Dr. Michael Epstein and Dr. Syed Shah
  •  (Poster Session #Sa1620) A caraway oil/menthol combination improves functional dyspepsia (FD) symptoms within the first 24 hours: Results of a randomized controlled trial, which allowed usual FD treatments
    • Dr. Brian Lacy, Dr. William Chey, Dr. Brooks Cash, Dr. Michael Epstein and Dr. Syed Shah
  •  (Poster Session #Sa1619) Efficacy of caraway oil/L-menthol plus usual care vs placebo plus usual care, in functional dyspepsia patients with post-prandial distress (PDS) or epigastric pain (EPS) syndromes: Results from a US RCT
    • Dr. William Chey, Dr. Brian Lacy, Dr. Brooks Cash, Dr. Michael Epstein and Dr. Syed Shah

For more information about featured studies, as well as a schedule of availability for featured researchers, please visit www.ddw.org/press.

About Digestive Disease Week® (DDW)

Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 6-9, 2017, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at www.ddw.org.

Regulation of Medical Foods

FDgard® is a medical food product and not a drug or dietary supplement.  A medical food is defined by section 5(b)(3) of the Orphan Drug Act (21 U.S.C, 360ee (b)(3) as a “food which is formulated to be consumed or administered internally under the supervision of a physician and which is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinct nutritional requirements, based on scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.” Medical foods do not require prior approval by the FDA and are in a unique category separate from drugs or dietary supplements. Medical foods must contain ingredients that are “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), or are approved food additives, as defined under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

###

REFERENCE/SOURCE

[1] Talley, N.J. & Ford, A.C. (2015). Functional Dyspepsia. The New England Journal of Medicine, 373, 1853-63. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1501505.

[2] Copyright © 1997 International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD). All rights reserved. Functional Dyspepsia and IBS: Incidence and Characteristics.

[3] Lacy, B.E., Weiser, K.T., Kennedy, A.T., Crowell, M.D., & Talley, N.J. (2013). Functional dyspepsia: the economic impact to patients. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 38:170-177. doi: 10.111/apt.12355.

[4] Shams, R., Oldfield, E.C., Copare, J., & Johnson, D.A. (2015). Peppermint Oil: Clinical Uses in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases. JSM Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 3 (1): 1035-1046.

[5] Sun, J. (2007). D-Limonene: Safety & Clinical Applications. Alternative Medicine Review, 12 (3): 259-264.

[6] Goncalves, J.C.R., Alves, A. de Miranda H., de Araujo, A.E.V., Cruz, J.S., & Araujo, D.A.M. (2010). Distinct effects of carvone analogues on the isolated nerve of rats. European Journal of Pharmacology, 645:108-112. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.07.027.

[7] May, B., Köhler, S., & Schneider, B. (2000). Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 14 (12), 1671–1677. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2000.00873.x.

SOURCE

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/results-of-new-clinical-data-presented-at-digestive-disease-week-ddw-a-premier-gastroenterology-meeting-show-unprecedented-symptom-reduction-and-rapid-relief-of-functional-dyspepsia-fd—persistent-or-recurring-indigestion-w-300452368.html

Read Full Post »

%d bloggers like this: