Coinciding with the annual conference of the British Cardiovascular Society taking place in London this week a UK-based biotechnology company, Cambridge Theranostics, introduced today a new pill aimed at lowering cholesterol and reducing atherosclerosis. The pill, called Ateronon, is made from lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes (it’s responsible for the tomato’s bright and colorful skin color). Cambridge Theranostics spent a decade developing a way to manufacture lycopene in a more absorbable form. However, no large-scale clinical trials have yet been performed to determine the safety and efficacy of the pill. Ateronon is not currently approved by the FDA for use in the United States.
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 am
Is it possible the new pill called Ateronon can be taken by someone with Gerd problems?Would it be acidic like eating tomatoes and other acidic fruits and vegetables?
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Interesting question. You might be able to find out the answer on the ateronon website: http://www.ateronon.com
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:54 am
I think these products should under go a big group clinical trials to find the complications. Mostly the biotechnology derived products creats complication when used for long time.