Nutramax scores major clinical win for CosaminDS

EDGEWOOD, Md. — Nutramax Labs announced Thursday the results of a National Institutes of Health-funded clinical study, carried out at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, that showed the combination of FCHG49 glucosamine hydrochloride and TRH122 chondroitin sulfate — the formula used in the brand CosaminDS — reduced levels of C-reactive protein, a key systemic biomarker.



The study results were published in PLoS One, an international, peer-reviewed online journal.



According to the researchers, the reduction in CRP may help to explain the findings of the VITAL (VITamins and Lifestyle) study, a large prospective epidemiological study also conducted at the Hutchinson Center, which correlated the use of dietary supplements to health outcomes. That study found that participants, who were users of glucosamine and chondroitin, had a lower risk of certain health conditions.



“We designed our trial as a follow-up to VITAL, as we were intrigued by the findings associated with the glucosamine/chondroitin combined supplementation,” commented Dr. Sandi Navarro, Ph.D., research scientist and lead author of the paper. “We are pleased to have identified a possible biologic mechanism to support those findings.”



The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study assessed the effects of 28 days of administration of glucosamine hydrochloride (1,500 mg/day) plus chondroitin sulfate (1,200 mg/day) in 18 adult patients (9 men and 9 women) who were healthy but overweight. Investigators found that serum concentrations of CRP were 23% lower after glucosamine/chondroitin administration compared to placebo.



Additionally, glucosamine and chondroitin also affected several other pathways, where the two ingredients' effects were significantly different from placebo. The most significant difference was a reduction in the “cytokine activity” pathway after combination therapy compared to placebo.



“Our results are consistent with observational studies reporting an association between glucosamine and chondroitin and circulating concentrations of CRP,” said Dr. Navarro. “A major strength of this study is that participants were healthy and free of underlying conditions that might have affected the results.”

“To my knowledge, the Fred Hutch study is the first to directly demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in high-sensitivity CRP following daily consumption of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, in a controlled trial,” noted Dr. Brian Cornblatt, medical director of Nutramax Laboratories. “The results, which were evident after only 28 days, further support what we have been observing in our laboratory research.” The Fred Hutch study adds to the growing body of clinical evidence that makes CosaminDS the most researched glucosamine/chondroitin product available.”