Hoodia Weight Management Schedule 2009

Phytopharm is in the final stage of developing a product based on the active extract of the hoodia plant - with the first due to hit the market in the second half of 2009.

The company set out in 2005 on a five-stage development program to research products using the active ingredient of hoodia gordonii. Unilever,Phytopharm's partner, has been contributing to the work, and will offer up to $21m ($30m) in funding.

On top of that, Phytopharm will receive an undisclosed royalty on sales of all products containing the extract.

Progress
Dr Daryl Rees, chief executive, said: "Hoodia extract, our weight management product partnered with Unilever, has continued to make good progress through the final stage of development prior to registration and commercial launch.

The firm said the efficacy of the hoodia extract has been demonstrated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.

Now, extracts of the active molecules are the subject of a global patenting program, with major patents granted in the US, UK, Europe and Japan and other "major territories."

The final stage includes supply chain expansion and consumer studies.

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