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Fonterra trials 'medical' ice cream for cancer patients
Thursday October 29, 06:08 PM
Clinical trials have been started throughout New Zealand to test a Fonterra ice cream claimed to prevent cancer patients suffering diarrhoea from their chemotherapy treatment.
Promoted as a "medical food", the ReCharge ice cream is a step up from the traditional panacea of ice cream for children recovering from tonsil operations.
Animal studies have indicated that milkfat, and another bioactive milk fraction, lactoferrin - which contains iron - can protect the lining of the intestine.
About 14,000 tonnes of milk has to be processed to produce one tonne of lactoferrin.
The Phase 2 clinical trials of the innovative ice cream may also reduce weight loss and damage to the immune system during chemotherapy.
Fonterra's chief technology officer Jeremy Hill said the supplement had been developed by dairy researchers in Palmerston North working with experts in Fonterra's Tip Top ice cream company, and medical experts at Auckland University.
"It was a tremendous technical challenge to develop this ice cream," he said.
Researchers worked with Tip Top to incorporate a specific type of milkfat and dairy protein, into a palatable ice cream.
The dairy components were screened for health effects by Associate Professor Geoff Krissansen, of Fonterra's LactoPharma joint venture with Auckland University, which used $2 million in taxpayer funding.
"Earlier trials in the laboratory found that weight loss and damage to the gut lining were significantly reduced by the active ingredients," said Mr Krissansen.
"There were also marked improvements to the immune system and blood markers."
It was being trialled at oncology centres at Whangarei, Auckland, Waikato, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.
Around 10 patients have already signed up for a daily regime that includes eating a 100 gram tub of strawberry ice cream.
The trial is blind and randomised, which means the patients and their doctors will not know whether they are being given the "medical" ice cream or normal strawberry ice cream.
Cancer Trials New Zealand has called for another 190 volunteers to road-test the dietary supplement, said the trial's manager, David Perez.
He noted it was important for patients to be aware that a high proportion of Phase 2 trials were not successful.
The outcome of the trial - approved by the Ministry of Health and an ethics committee - was expected to be known in about a year.
Source:
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