Stirling Products has high hopes for ImmunoXel clinical trial to treat flu

Thursday, January 28, 2010 by Proactive Investors

Australian healthcare company Stirling Products Limited (ASX:STI) will test its botanical extract ImmunoXel to treat flu.

The clinical trial will take place in the Ukraine. Classified as a dietary supplement, ImmunoXel is an immune system optimizing agent which helps the human body ‘naturally’ fight viruses.

Currently, two drugs - zanamivir and oseltamivir - are largely relied upon by doctors to be effective in combating the flu.

However, these two drugs are only able to shorten the duration of the flu by an average of about 1 or 2 days. These two drugs are associated with adverse side effects, but can also be prone to drug resistance.

ImmunoXel has already been shown to decrease the duration of the flu in clinical trial participants by 2 - 3 days.

The advantage of ImmunoXel is that it promotes optimized immune system function, and does not rely upon a drug effect against the virus itself.

ImmunoXel’s predecessor product, Dzherelo, is widely used in the Ukraine to lessen the effects and duration of the flu and also as a preventative.

The product is considered safe and effective both by its consumers and by the Ukraine government regulatory body.

In the upcoming trial, ImmunoXel effectiveness on the body’s immune system will be tested in people with seasonal flu (including swine flu, or 2009 H1N1 flu) both alone, and in tandem with conventional flu drugs.

If ImmunoXel’s effect on the immune system is synergistic with antiviral drugs in controlling the flu, such a combination of ImmunoXel as an immune system optimizer together with an antiviral drug may be a breakthrough for seasonal flu treatment.

The aim with ImmunoXel is to have a ‘natural’ process of successfully addressing the flu using the power of an optimized immune system alone, without the need of introducing drugs into the system.

Stirling will soon launch ImmunoXel in the USA, under the ‘i-Naturals’ branding. Marketing will focus on ImmunoXel’s demonstrated ability to assist and optimize the body’s naturally effective immune system. In addition to flu, published clinical trials have reported the efficacy of ImmunoXel in combating XDR-TB (extensively drug resistant tuberculosis), one of the world’s deadliest diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement governing the upcoming clinical trial in the Ukraine, Stirling will support laboratory costs, physician fees, and patient costs.

ImmunoXel will be supplied by the Company’s Licensor, Ekomed LLC, and antiviral drugs will be supplied by Stirling or its alliance partner Cipla Limited.

ImmunoXel has been the subject of over 12 clinical trials in cases of infectious diseases, and has been used by millions of people over the last 15 years.

Stirling recently raised $2m via a capital raising.

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