FLEXISEQ: Charity Partnership Contributes Over £400,000 to Arthritis Research UK and Launches Nationwide
London, United Kingdom (PRWEB UK) 28 January 2014 -- Pro Bono Bio®, the global leader in nano-physical healthcare products, announces the UK national launch of FLEXISEQ™, the innovative drug-free, safe treatment for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis* (OA) following the successful conclusion of the pioneering 2 month Charity partnership phase for the benefit of Arthritis Research UK. The contribution in products that are sold through the Arthritis Research UK website and through LloydsPharmacy has raised over £400,000 for the medical research charity. Sufferers have enthusiastically welcomed the new, effective and safe product that they can self-medicate and it is now going on sale through all leading pharmacies in the UK. FLEXISEQ comes with significant advantages as the product has no contra-indications, contains no drugs, so cannot cause drug-to-drug interactions, and so is safer than the existing drug treatments.
Commenting on the launch, the Prime Minister David Cameron said, “It was great to launch Pro Bono Bio during my trade mission to Moscow in 2011. And it is great that less than three years later this innovative treatment for osteoarthritis sufferers has now arrived in the UK. This demonstrates how UK- Russia collaboration at the cutting edge of R&D can help British businesses to expand into new areas, creating jobs and growth here in the UK."
National Launch
John Mayo CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of Pro Bono Bio said, “FLEXISEQ is now available through good pharmacists nationwide and we will apply for it to be available from the NHS on prescription during 2014.”
Michael Earl, Chief Operating Officer of Pro Bono Bio said, “The proven physical mode of action and the lack of an active pharmaceutical ingredient give FLEXISEQ the best of both worlds: it works and it’s safe. The lack of systemic side effects that have been recorded when drugs are used chronically, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke, together with a lack of drug interactions makes FLEXISEQ a particularly suitable option for many OA patients, who are elderly and may be suffering from other conditions and taking other medications, which complicate the choice of therapy for their painful joints. The problems with using older medications such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in these patients are becoming increasingly well recognised following the research published in the Lancet** earlier this year, and so we believe that FLEXISEQ is a very valuable addition to the treatment options available.”
FLEXISEQ: Charitable contribution
Liam O’Toole, CEO of Arthritis Research UK, the largest funder of research into arthritis in the UK said: “We know that nearly nine million people in the UK have sought treatment for osteoarthritis, which is a painful and extremely debilitating condition. Current approaches to treating this chronic pain are inadequate, and we are interested in the potential of this new drug-free approach.
During the Charity period FLEXISEQ, via Pro Bono Bio and LloydsPharmacy, has contributed over £400,000 to help us in the fight against arthritis and FLEXISEQ has also driven a significant increase in visitor numbers to our website http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org. Going forward, patients can continue to order the product from our website.”
The UK Patient Need
Dr John Dickson, co-founder of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society commented: “It is well recognised that effectively managing chronic pain, particularly in patients with other conditions and risk factors, is a massive challenge that GPs and patients face on a daily basis. I am delighted that FLEXISEQ is being launched in the UK. This topical treatment is drug-free and seems to have an excellent safety profile. There is already a lot of interest in the UK about this exciting new treatment and indeed I am personally using it on my arthritic hand joints with success.”
Commenting on FLEXISEQ, Nitin Makadia, LloydsPharmacy pain expert and pharmacist, said: “Pain management is one of our key areas of focus and we recognise that osteoarthritis is a widespread issue. Since December we have seen an overwhelming response from our customers for FLEXISEQ.”
Nano-physical healthcare
RUSNANO, the Russian state-owned technology company focused on Nano-Technology is a founding investor in developing the Sequessome Technology® which powers FLEXISEQ.
Anatoly Chubais, Chairman of the Executive Board of RUSNANO said: “Here at RUSNANO, we recognize the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as being among the most promising in terms of deployment of nanotechnologies, and we consider developing such projects in Russia one of our top priorities. With this aim in view, RUSNANO invests in technology transfer by becoming actively involved in a number of ambitious projects all over the world. The story of FLEXISEQ and its continuing success, once again, demonstrates that this strategy is sound. Right now, the UK is becoming another top European market to embrace FLEXISEQ, and we look forward to seeing FLEXISEQ enter the Russian market as well, the market it had received a substantial part of its founding investments from.“
More information is available for patients from a dedicated FLEXISEQ info line on 0800 098 7011.
For Media Enquiries:
John Mayo
karen(at)frost(at)pbbio(dot)com
+44 20 7291 5456
Michael Earl
lucy(at)parker(at)pbbio(dot)com
+44 20 7291 5446
Or visit: http://www.probonobio.com and http://www.flexiseq.com
References and footnotes:
- In clinical trials there were no health issues associated with long term use of FLEXISEQ™. Sequessome™ constituents that lubricate the joints are designated as GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) by the US FDA.
** Coxib and Traditional NSAID Trialists’ (CNT) Collaboration. Vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: meta-analyses of individual participant data from randomised trials. Lancet 2013; pii: Q5 S0140-6736(13)60900-9
Notes for editors:
Sequessome Technology®
FLEXISEQ employs Pro Bono Bio’s patented Sequessome Technology rather than an active pharmaceutical ingredient to target a root cause of the disease, relieving pain with comparable efficacy to celecoxib, a leading prescription drug used for treating OA pain. Sequessome Technology utilises nanostructures called Sequessome™ vesicles that cross the skin barrier after the gel's topical application and migrate through various tissues to the target joint. Once inside the joint, Sequessome vesicles accumulate on the damaged cartilage forming a lubricating layer.
This targeted, physical mode of action crucially means there are no drug-to-drug interactions with FLEXISEQ as it is not itself a drug and, as a result, it can be used by patients who may be taking a variety of medications for other diseases, without increasing their drug burden. FLEXISEQ is also a welcome option for patients considered ‘at risk’ from the more common side effects associated with NSAIDs for example, those with such conditions as high blood pressure, gastric disorders or asthma.
FLEXISEQ: Mode of Action
FLEXISEQ is different as it does not contain an active pharmaceutical ingredient but rather works through a patented physical mode of action because it increases the level of bio-lubrication in the affected joint. One of the features of OA is a depletion in the level of phospholipids in the joint, normally found in the liquid around the cartilage. These phospholipids play an important role in lubricating the joint and, as a consequence, their deficiency contributes to the pain, stiffness and loss of function inherent in OA. FLEXISEQ targets this root cause of osteoarthritis pain.
FLEXISEQ contains patented phospholipid vesicles that are formulated using Sequessome Technology® to be ultra-deformable, and have been shown to penetrate into the joint, after topical application and being allowed to dry, where they supplement the bio-lubrication in the synovial space. As there is no active pharmaceutical ingredient and as FLEXISEQ has a physical mode of action, it is registered as a medical device under the appropriate European legislation and therefore does not require a prescription.
About Pro Bono Bio
Pro Bono Bio is an innovative healthcare and nano-medical device company launched in 2011. Pro Bono Bio launched FLEXISEQ in Europe in 2012 and plans to launch two further new products for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders in 2014. Pro Bono Bio has ambitious growth targets that will allow it to support a unique humanitarian mission. In 2012, it started that mission by supporting elderly (less well off) pilgrims from West Africa on the Hajj to Mecca, alleviating the joint pain caused by long periods of walking and kneeling. The support for the less wealthy Hajj pilgrims has continued in 2013 in Asia. The Charity launch of FLEXISEQ in the UK is a further example of our support for this mission by funding medical research which we hope will benefit mankind.
Arthritis Research UK
Arthritis Research UK is dedicated to leading the fight against arthritis and committed to being at the forefront of international efforts to develop new treatments.
Michael Earl, Pro Bono Bio, +44 2072915446, [email protected]
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