Vitalnext Announces Positive Results of Clinical Study For Malnutrition

WAGENINGEN, Netherlands, September 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

VitalneXt BV today announces positive top-line results of a recently completed clinical study on its innovative medical nutrition (Vital01) to treat malnourished people. These were presented at the 40^th Congress of 'the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism' in Madrid.

The randomized clinical study compared Vital01, a new and innovative medical nutrition with a standard control product containing the same amount of protein and energy in a group of 82 community dwelling elderly all malnourished or at high risk of malnutrition.

The key result of the study is that patients in the Vital01 group developed a higher gait speed than patients in the control group for a short distance (4m) - which is the standard test in these types of studies - and also for a longer distance (400m). There is ample evidence that gait speed is directly correlated to general health status and quality of life of malnourished people. Initial analyses indicate that besides a possible contribution of increased muscle mass, this difference in gait speed can be explained by a more efficient energy metabolism of the muscle caused by the specific composition of Vital01.  

Malnutrition has a high prevalence amongst elderly and has repeatedly been linked to longer stay in hospital, increased mortality and a high burden of cost to society. Vitalnext has developed Vital01, a powder-based complete nutrition. This powder can be mixed with any drink or food according to patients' preference. Vital01 is designed to efficiently convert protein into muscle mass in order to improve the physical condition and mobility of patients.

Rein Strijker, CEO of Vitalnext commented: "These results demonstrate that Vital01 has considerable benefits over the current standard of care product. In particular, improvement in walking speed is very relevant for patients who suffer from malnutrition. We are thrilled that we are now able to provide a much-improved treatment option for patients suffering from malnutrition."

Rudy Mareel, chairman of the board of Vitalnext, emphasised the improvement in patients' clinical outcomes: "Medical Nutrition up to now has been about calories and weight gain with little innovation occurring beyond taste, palatability and nutritional uptake. The impact on gait speed moves us beyond just malnutrition to direct improvement in quality of life.  This is an exciting moment for the industry, Vitalnext and, most importantly, our patients."

About Vitalnext and Vital01:

Vitalnext, a Netherlands based life science company, develops proprietary products with evidence-based health benefits for the aging population. Healthy Aging is an important topic in most societies throughout the world. The increasing life expectancy of most people creates a demand for products that keeps us in good health for prolonged periods of time.  

Medical Nutrition can play an important role in this demand by providing balanced complete nutrition for malnourished patients. Malnutrition causes a significant cost-burden on society as it is highly correlated with morbidity and increased hospital stay. Several studies have shown that these costs are even higher than costs associated with obesity. Health problems caused by malnutrition are strongly linked to decreasing muscle mass and muscle function such as gait speed. 

Vitalnext developed Vital01 using a multidisciplinary approach encompassing preclinical and clinical studies to demonstrate safety and efficacy. In addition, a research program was conducted to investigate the mode of action of this innovative product. A worldwide patent application is pending claiming composition and all future use of the product. This will apply to medical nutrition, but also to sports/performance-nutrition for healthy people focused on improving muscle mass and muscle function. 

For further information: Rein Strijker; [email protected]

T: +31-65-391-2661

SOURCE Vitalnext