Next Pharmaceuticals Reveals Nexrutine® Prevents Prostate Cancer Progression in Pre-clinical Animal Model

Business Wire, May 2, 2007

University of Texas Study Demonstrates Effectiveness of Non-Toxic Botanical

SALINAS, Calif. -- Next Pharmaceuticals announced today the results of a study that an over-the-counter non-toxic botanical supplement, Nexrutine (Phellodendron amurense), prevents the progression of prostate tumors in mice. The study was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Pratap Kumar, Department of Urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and is published in the May 1, 2007 edition of Clinical Cancer Research, a prestigious peer-reviewed health journal from American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

"We are very encouraged by these results and are taking measures to begin our human clinical trials immediately," said Charles Kosmont, Chairman and CEO of Next Pharmaceuticals. "Many doctors are now recommending natural compounds in conjunction with traditional Western medicine and we hope that with positive results from our human trial, Nexrutine will be used as an adjunct supplement."

"Recently many cancer patients have been turning to the use of natural products including dietary/herbal supplements preventive agents (although there has been little to no scientific evidence on the utility of these natural products regarding their cancer prevention ability)," said Dr. Kumar, lead researcher on the study.

"Therefore our finding that Nexrutine is able to inhibit prostate cancer in a preclinical model is very encouraging. Since cancer arises due to defects in multiple signaling pathways, developing agents that target multiple signaling pathways may be an ideal approach for successful cancer management. We are very excited that Nexrutine prevents prostate cancer progression in a mouse model of prostate cancer through modulation of multiple signaling pathways including Akt which is overexpressed in prostate tumors. This is the first report demonstrating the anti-cancerous activity of this herbal extract in a preclinical animal model."

A previous laboratory study conducted last year at the University of Texas, demonstrated that Nexrutine caused apoptosis (death) in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Apoptosis is a normal cellular event that maintains a balance between newer replacement cells and aged or worn cells. In contrast, cancer cells grow out of control and form tumors. Apoptosis does not occur. Both the in vitro study and the animal study demonstrated that Nexrutine changed this dynamic in prostate cancer cells.

The experimental design of the current study showed that feeding animals with a diet containing Nexrutine, reduced palpable tumors and prevented progression of prostate cancer. Using magnetic resonance imaging guided investigations, the investigators found that Nexrutine slowed growth of the tumors.

About Next Pharmaceuticals

Next Pharmaceuticals (NP) was founded with the purpose of developing new, patented, natural ingredients for healthy living products in the dietary supplement, food and beverage industries. The goal of the company is to expand self-care and preventative health maintenance. NP has successfully developed six plant extracts, both patented and proprietary, plus Chromulin[TM], a new form of the essential trace mineral chromium for potentiating insulin. These products have significantly expanded the choices for self-care products while providing consumer brands with powerful product differentiation. Through the application of pharmaceutical technologies to natural botanical materials, including citrus fruits, NP has developed Relora[R] for relaxation and stress-related appetite control, Seditol[R] for better quality of sleep, Nexrutine[R] for inflammation, Citri-Z[R] for heart health; Flavoxine[TM] for healthy cholesterol, and Citrofen[TM] for mobility and comfort.