CSO of Metagenics to host workshop on breakthrough medical foods

October 2, 2011 — Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN, CNS, chief science officer for Metagenics Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company dedicated to reducing chronic illness and improving health, will host a presentation on medical foods on Oct. 26 at the World Health Forum at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

“Research is demonstrating that the value of medical foods to our healthcare system is enormous,” said Bland. “Metagenics’ medical foods are developed through nutrigenomics — the science of how food affects our genetic expression — which are a safe, effective way to fight the epidemic of chronic illness that is currently occurring worldwide.”

The cost of these chronic illnesses in the United States alone is estimated to be $1.5 trillion annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medical foods, a category recognized by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), can be viewed as “therapeutic nutrition.” They are formulated and intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition. Metagenics-sponsored research has proven that patients who incorporate a medical food into their diets, as well as make necessary lifestyle changes, can improve their health quickly and safely.

Recently, the Journal of Clinical Lipidology reported results of a 12 week multi-center clinical trial conducted by the University of Connecticut, University of Florida, and the University of California, Irvine that showed Metagenics’ UltraMeal PLUS 360° medical food and a low-glycemic Mediterranean diet is almost twice as likely to lower certain cardiovascular risk factors as this same diet alone, and is 40 percent more likely to resolve the effects of metabolic syndrome. 

The medical foods workshop will cover:

• “The Concept of Medical Foods and their Regulatory Framework,” presented by Dr. Jeffrey Bland. 
• “The Medical Foods Business Environment,” moderated by Willy Pardiñas, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Americas at Metagenics.
• “Clinical Applications of Medical Foods,” moderated by Robert Lerman, MD, Ph.D., Director of Medicine and Extramural Clinical Research at Metagenics.
• “Food-derived Bioactives and the Composition of Medical Foods,” moderated by Matthew Tripp, PhD, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Metagenics. 

Objectives of the workshop are:

• To describe the medical foods category, how it is mandated and regulated.
• To define the clinical value and application of medical foods.
• To understand the bioactive ingredients and their influence related to the nutritional requirements of specific diseases.
• To better understand the medical foods commercial space.

For the agenda, registration and more information on World Health Forum at Harvard Medical School, visit www.bostonworldhealthforum.com.

Source: Metagenics Inc., www.metagenics.com