Natural painkiller
derived from a Chinese philodendron tree
San Francisco, CA 94111
19 Aug 2005
Nexrutine Ready to Step into the Spotlight
By Dr. Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, Global Medicine
Hunter
As Vioxx loses its luster with a $253
million settlement, Merck and other
drugmakers will think twice about the
suppression of negative data. What does this
mean for the millions of Americans seeking
pain relief?
The search for natural Cox-2 inhibitors that
don’t create problems with thrombosis is
greater than ever. Stepping up to the
challenge is a natural painkiller derived
from a Chinese philodendron tree, used for
thousands of years in Chinese Medicine.
Today it is marketed as Nexrutine and
formulated by Next Pharmaceuticals out of
Irvine, CA.
“People are alarmed about Vioxx and are
looking for something that has reasonable
science that suggests it is safe and that it
works,” said Bob Garrison, CEO of Next and a
licensed pharmacist.
He drew attention to a study published in
Thrombosis Research (106:2002, 223-227) on
rabbits, indicating that berberine, the
primary anti-inflammatory in Nexrutine might
inhibit arachinodonic acid metabolism in
platelets; and another in Acta Physiologica
Sinica (2004 Apr; 25 (4): 496-502)
investigating its effect on impaired glucose
tolerance and insulin secretion in rats.
The dietary supplement prevents the release
of the Cox-2 enzyme, but does not block the
Cox –1, which is the enzyme that causes
stomach problems in remedies such as
aspirin. Human clinical trials have also
been carried out to look at safety and
efficacy. Next found that out of the four
fractions of the tree bark used in Nexrutine,
one has strong anti-inflammatory properties
and another quells anxiety. The ingredient
was therefore developed to combine these two
fractions.
Of the anti-anxiety element, Garrison said:
“If you reduce anxiety in a person
experiencing pain, you will reduce their
perception of pain. Pain is a strange thing
to address, and everyone reacts
differently.”
Nexrutine is sold over-the-counter and
distributed by several different companies.
__________
Dr. Meg Jordan is a medical anthropologist
and President of Global Medicine
Enterprises, Inc. She can be reached at
mail@megjordan.com
(constjohn@aol.com)
St. John Group
1750 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone : 415-454-2243
Fax : 415-4593165
