PLT and Laila Nutraceuticals make “preservation” breakthrough of its joint supplement

06 Sep 2023 --- A six-month clinical study of AprèsFlex, a synergistic Boswellia serrata gum resin extract, reveals long term health effects toward overall mobility, cartilage preservation and protection at a 100 mg dose.

The study, conducted in collaboration between PLT Health Solutions and Laila Nutraceuticals, was developed to meet the industry’s top three markers in the segment – fast-acting and long-lasting comfort, physical function and cartilage protection – with the latter showing the most benefits in the current study.

It is the fourth clinical trial of the product, which has only broken ground now, including benefits to joint space, cartilage thickness and a significant reduction of inflammation and cartilage degradation biomarkers. The product will be showcased at SupplySide West 2023, Las Vegas, US, from October 23 to 27.

“When you see results like a 70% improvement in comfort, stiffness and function, and 30% improvement in functional capacity in a longer-term setting, these are not just statistics, but tangible results that can meaningfully improve people’s lives. The joint space and cartilage preservation data from this study is a game-changer for our industry,” says Seth Flowerman, president and CEO of PLT Health Solutions.

Leveraging Indian frankincense
The product prominently features a Boswellia serrata ingredient, known as Indian frankincense, demonstrating support for cartilage preservation, which the company describes as “a major concern for consumers and product formulators in the joint health and mobility space.”

“Working with our innovation partner Laila Nutraceuticals, PLT designed a study that could evaluate both the long-term potential for this ingredient and its ability to address the unmet needs of joint space preservation and cartilage protection,” Flowerman notes.

The study validates the improvements in joint comfort, stiffness and physical function at one and three months, respectively, observing an upward trajectory of progress with no plateau effect after six months.AprèsFlex will be exhibited at SupplySide West in Las Vegas next month. 

The findings also show long-term improvements in functional capacity for walking, stair climbing and daily activities. The company states that the study breaks new ground on the potential for the supplement industry to provide joint health and mobility support. 

Innova Market Insights data suggests that joint health in F&B and supplement product launches grew 15% annually over the past five years (2018-2022), with supplements as the leading product category at 84% in 2022. The US and Canada lead product launches with joint health claims at 38%, followed by Europe at 37%.

Bioavailability of a substantial quality
MRI assessments of the knee’s femoral, patellar, lateral tibial and medial tibial cartilage thickness showed joint space narrowing with AprèsFlex. When joint space narrowing occurs, cartilage can’t keep the bones a regular distance apart, which causes severe pressure and pain.

“Currently, most ingredients that purport to support cartilage, like collagens, benefit from a story that relies on their compositional similarity to cartilage, but these ingredients lack human clinical data showing benefits to cartilage. The scientific evidence for structural benefits from consuming cartilage or any of its components is limited,” says Jen Murphy, director of innovation and clinical development at PLT. 

AprèsFlex subjects demonstrated substantial improvements in their functional abilities, including a 27% increase in walking speed and a 30% reduction in time to ascend and descend stairs. 

The oral bioavailability of the company’s acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid is 52% higher than other commercially available Boswellia extracts.

“Having previously shown that AprèsFlex was effective and fast-acting, this new study demonstrates that the improvements in comfort, stiffness and function experienced with AprèsFlex correlate with the preservation and long-term protection of cartilage,” Murphy concludes.

Meanwhile, joint health continues to be a major trend in the supplement, F&B and nutraceutical space as the consumer demand grows beyond skin, beauty and healthy aging into sports and active nutrition.

Edited by Inga de Jong