Writing in The Journal of Nutrition, it was found that the supplementation of its palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) ingredient, trademarked Levagen+, could produce anti-inflammatory effects in COVID-19 patients who were not hospitalised.
The four-week clinical trial was conducted in Arizona between October 2020 and March 2021 – before COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out globally.
A total of 60 subjects completed the study where they were randomised to take 600mg of Levagen+ or placebo tablets twice daily.
Levagen+ was shown to have significantly reduced the three key inflammatory markers linked to COVID-19, namely sP-selectin, IL-1β, and IL-2, as compared to the placebo.
Speaking to NutraIngredients-Asia, R. V. Venkatesh, CEO of Gencor Pacific, said that following the positive findings, the firm was aiming to position the ingredient for improving quality of life in healthy humans who have recovered from COVID-19, but were still suffering from the symptoms arising from long-COVID.
“We are not claiming to prevent or cure COVID-19, we are not making a disease-curing claim, but [addressing] what COVID-19 has left behind.
“The chief cause by which people suffer from health problems post-COVID-19, is due to inflammation, and we are looking at that area. Inflammation due to COVID-19 is going to create lifestyle problems for people,” said Venkatesh.
Examples of these lifestyle problems include fatigue, brain fog, a lack of energy, and discomfort arising from inflammation.
“This [Levagen+] can be a good therapy for people who have recovered from COVID-19 to control inflammation,” he said.
He added that there was a market demand for such products since the pandemic has affected a majority of the world’s population.
“Quite a significant of the world’s population have recovered from COVID-19, but people also do get reinfected and are suffering the effects of COVID-19.”
At the moment, the company is conducting discussions with regulatory consultants to assess the feasibility of the health claims that it hopes to make with Levagen+ and COVID-19.
“We are looking different markets where we can make a legally valid nutraceutical claim which will not infringe upon the pharmaceutical area, since nutraceuticals cannot be used for diseased conditions.”
More trials on more ingredients
Aside from Levagen+, Gencor is also studying how its other trademark ingredients could be beneficial for post COVID-19 management.
One of the ingredients that the firm would be studying is its curcumin ingredient trademarked HydroCurc.
So far, three to four studies have been planned and he expects the results to be out end of this year or early next year.
“We are looking at numerous areas in which we could have a better quality of life post-COVID-19,” Venkatesh said.
