Saw palmetto extract (SPE), SPET-085, is shown to be effective as finasteride, the standard prescription drug therapy, in blocking the critical enzyme that leads to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), according to a new study by Euromed.
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The study was conducted to assess the in-vitro potency of SPET-085, an inhibitor of the 5alpha-reductase isoenzyme type II, in a cell-free test system.
SPE has been used for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Study results revealed that SPET-085 can effectively inhibit the enzyme linked to BPH, at a lower dose as compared to hexane extracts of saw palmetto.
The study also showed that SPET-085 has bioactivity similar to finasteride, the most commonly prescribed prescription medicine for the treatment of BPH.
Michael Barry, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said: “I look forward to seeing if these interesting results in the laboratory translate into better patient outcomes in the National Institutes of Health-funded Camus study, an ongoing 18 month clinical trial comparing this saw palmetto supplement against a placebo for urinary symptoms attributed to benign prostatic enlargement.”
Joe Veilleux, general manager of Euromed USA, said: “The results of this study verify the activity of our new saw palmetto extract, SPET-085, to help maintain healthy prostate function.
“Euromed is committed to ongoing clinical research to provide scientific evidence which is expected to differentiate SPET-085 from other saw palmetto extracts.”