Evgen and Kraft Foods enter into Option Agreement
Evgen Limited (United Kingdom) is delighted to announce that it has entered into an Option Agreement to license, on a world-wide exclusive basis, certain intellectual property rights from Kraft Foods.
The cancer preventative benefits of cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli) are largely attributed to a family of natural molecules called glucosinolates. The most studied glucosinolate is glucoraphanin. Upon consumption, glucoraphanin is enzymatically converted to a molecule called sulforaphane and it is sulforaphane that shows a remarkable bioactivity across all stages of cancer development.
The enzyme responsible for this conversion is found naturally in plant material (such as broccoli) however it is typically inactivated during processing and cooking. Whilst the enzyme is also found in some gut microbes, the conversion is inefficient and highly variable from person to person. Therefore considerable scientific research has been directed towards ways to improve the levels of sulforaphane delivery so that its cancer preventative benefits are maximised.
The Kraft Foods intellectual property pertains to novel compositions and delivery systems of glucoraphanin combined with the enzyme which is expected to deliver more consistent levels of sulforaphane. It is believed that this technology has enormous potential for supplements and therapeutics as both glucoraphanin and the enzyme are naturally found in foods, have a long history of consumption and, importantly, are stable.
Chief Executive of Evgen, Dr Stephen Franklin said:
"We are delighted to enter into this Option Arrangement with Kraft Foods. Sulforaphane has shown remarkable ability to act on the process of carcinogenesis by affecting all three phases: tumor initiation, promotion and progression phases, and also by suppressing the final steps of carcinogenesis. We are hopeful that these novel and natural compositions will markedly increase sulforaphane production in the human gut thereby maximising the health benefit".
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