Founding Company ArtJen, thinks Alpha-Fibe FBCx may one day provide new treatment for reducing cholesterol and other diseases

DETROIT-Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and a team of Wayne State University professors may have discovered a new alternative for "battling the bulge."

This all-natural dietary supplement, Alpha-Fibe FBCx, the latest weapon in the arsenal for fighting obesity, has hit the shelves of many local health food stores in the past year, and will now be available nationally in 1,300 GNC Nutrition Centers on July 1, 2008 and 90 Sav-On/Sav-Mor and 55 Drug Fair/Cost Cutters drugstores on August 1, 2008. In order to support public awareness of its health benefits, Bio-Form will begin a national advertising campaign in August featuring the product in First Magazine. Patented by ArtJen and manufactured and distributed by AVC Bio-Form Essentials USA, Alpha-Fibe FBCx has been launched around the world in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, and Jordan, and will soon be in stores across Europe. The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the active ingredient for the U.S. and international markets.

Developed by Dr. Joseph Artiss, associate professor of Pathology in WSU's School of Medicine, and Dr. K-L Catherine Jen, chair of Nutrition and Food Science in WSU's College of Liberal Arts and Science, Alpha-Fibe FBCx is a soluble fiber derived from corn that works by binding dietary fat in the stomach, thereby preventing its absorption into the bloodstream. The product's main feature is the unusual ability to bind nine times its own weight in dietary fat, thus removing 25 to 30 percent of the calories and 50 to 60 percent of the fat from a typical North American diet.

According to Drs. Artiss and Jen, in addition to the potential weight-loss benefits, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have performed extensive animal studies on FBCx, and initial results were found to be both promising and exciting.

Research also shows that FBCx may also reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), while leaving the HDL (good cholesterol) levels, unchanged. This study concludes that FBCx may be beneficial in reducing both elevated blood fat levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Human clinical trials on FBCx to observe the impact it has on patients with Type II diabetes show preliminary evidence that the product may also help users correct or slow the onset of diabetes. Jen, who has studied dietary causes of obesity for the past three decades, notes that weight gain is a serious concern in not only the U.S., but in many other countries as well. "We all know that dieting and exercise are the commonly recommended ways to lose weight, but we also know that most people, for whatever reason, do not stay with that routine long enough to make a lifetime difference," Jen commented. "The product is most effective in overweight people with high-fat in their diets. Now they have a healthful, more convenient alternative that will help them accomplish their objective," Jen added.

"Exercise and eating healthy foods is still a critical factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle," stated Artiss. "FBCx may give those who are overweight a chance of achieving a healthy lifestyle, ultimately leading them to a renewed interest in maintaining their health through exercise, eating right, and a dose of FBCx when they feel the need to indulge," added Artiss.

Drs. Artiss and Jen formed ArtJen to patent the FBCx technology process worldwide. They purchased the rights to the technology from Wayne State and retained an exclusive agent, AVC Bio-Form Essentials USA, to bring the product to the worldwide market.

ArtJen was incorporated to complete the development and marketing of the FBCx^TM technology. The genesis of the idea and initial development of the fiber that became FBCx^TM was done by Drs. Joe Artiss and Catherine Jen at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. To fully develop this technology, Artiss and Jen acquired the rights to the technology and formed ArtJen. To learn more about FBCx and its benefits, visit http://www.fbcx.org. For questions or comments, contact usa@bio-form.com or usa@bio-formessentials.com.

Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. Nothing in this News Release is intended as an endorsement by Wayne State University of any commercial product.