Provexis, the UK company whose main product CardioFlow, a novel extract from tomato, has been shown to be beneficial to the heart, has been given a major boost with the addition of a leading British scientist to its Scientific Advisory Board.
Professor David Webb, leader of the Centre for Cardiovascular Science at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, will work with Provexis' scientists to develop a second generation CardioFlow specifically for patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
Provexis seems to be going from strength to strength. In November last year the company secured venture capital to help it bring CardioFlow to the market, and the appointment of Prof Webb as a scientific advisor clearly shows that it is continuing to look for new applications for its product.
CardioFlow has been shown to have a beneficial effect in reducing the tendency for excessive blood clotting, which in some circumstances can lead to heart attacks, stroke and deep vein thrombosis.
Dr Stephen Franklin, chief executive of Provexis, said that the CardioFlow extract had now been added to orange juice in order to create a mainstream "heart healthy" drink for the adult population, and that it was in the final phase of human trials prior to a launch in early 2004.
"Many people are familiar with the idea of taking aspirin to reduce the tendency for the blood to clot. The great advantage of CardioFlow is that it is a natural fruit-derived extract that can be added to products like orange juice to provide real proven health benefits without affecting the taste."