Carlsbad, CA - December 5, 2006 - Next Pharmaceuticals today announced the results of a clinical trial on their new-patented heart health ingredient Flavoxine™. The double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with 80 subjects indicated that Flavoxine™ significantly increased HDL-cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol while significantly reducing LDL-cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides. In addition, Flavoxine™ significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation, and it significantly lowered blood pressure and fasting blood glucose in the overweight individuals with elevated cholesterol levels.

“Flavoxine™ is the result of Next Pharmaceuticals devoting many years to finding a natural formula for heart health that would have considerably greater benefits than the nutrients currently sold in dietary supplements or functional foods and beverages” said Bob Garrison, President and CEO of Next Pharmaceuticals. “We believe Flavoxine™ will be a blockbuster natural ingredient for maintaining a healthy heart. The active compounds from the plants used have been studied extensively and therefore Flavoxine™ does not have the risks frequently associated with new synthetic compounds.“

Flavoxine™ is a blend of two plant extracts, a proprietary extract of Phellodendron amurense and a patented (U.S. Patent No. 6,987,125) extract of orange peel containing polymethoxylated flavones. The principal investigator for the trial was Dr. Julius E. Oben, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, University of Yaounde in Cameroon. The increase in HDL-cholesterol in the overweight group compared to the placebo group was significant at P<0.001. The decrease in LDL-cholesterol between these two groups was significant at P<0.01. The complete results will be submitted for publication early in 2007.

Next Pharmaceuticals is seeking to replicate the trial in the U.S., through a joint effort with an academic institution under a National Institutes of Health grant.

About Next Pharmaceuticals
Next Pharmaceuticals (NPI) was founded in 1997 with the purpose of developing new, patented, natural ingredients for healthy living products in the dietary supplement, food and beverage industries. The goal of the company is to expand self-care and keep individuals out of the traditional health care system for a longer period of time. NPI has successfully developed six patented plant extracts that have significantly expanded the choices for self-care products, while providing large consumer brands with powerful product differentiation. Through the application of pharmaceutical technologies to natural botanical materials, including citrus fruits, NPI has developed Relora® for relaxation and stress-related appetite control, Nexrutine® for inflammation, Seditol® for better quality of sleep, Flavoxine™ & Citri-Z® for heart health, Citrofen™ for pain, and Chromulin™ for carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. These ingredients are available for licensing to qualified companies.

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