Ginger-based medicine Zindol to stop vomiting after chemotherapy in cancer patients promising: Aphios

Zindol, an all natural drug derived from ginger extract, has been found effective to stop nausea and vomiting followed by chemo therapy in cancer patients.

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis, Roscoe) has been in used traditionally across cultures to treat gastrointestinal upsets such as nausea and excessive flatulence.

Indian classical medicine Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine consider ginger as a major constituent in several drug formulation to treat various condition including that affects bowels.

North American folklore also recognizes the ability of ginger to relieve gastrointestinal upsets including nausea.

Ginger is believed to be the only herb that can prevent symptoms of motion sickness and has been approved for that use by Germany’s Commission E, the agency responsible for regulating the use of herbal products in that country.

Ginger has recently been studied scientifically for its effect on nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, surgery and pregnancy.
Ginger is listed as a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) food by the U.S. FDA.

A desirable attribute in any substitute or additional antiemetic medication would be the absence of clinically significant adverse effects.

Zindol, developed by Aphios Corporation is an enhanced ginger product that is standardized by the bioactive constituents, gingerols and shogaols, of ginger.

Aphios’ scientists and engineers utilized a proprietary polarity-guided SuperFluids CXF fractionation technology to establish conditions for the isolation of the active ingredients of Zindol.

Raw materials such as ginger utilized were organic grown and SuperFluids carbon dioxide was utilized to selectivity extract and concentrate gingerols and shogaols.

The ginger extracts are thus free of potentially toxic organic solvents, and have been tested to be free of pesticides, herbicides and other contaminants.

The enhanced ginger concentrate is then formulated to achieve a specific concentration of gingerols and shogaols.

Other extracts used for stabilization and bioavailability of gingerols and shogaols were all natural liquids.

The golden-brown formulation is then encapsulated under cGMP conditions into gel capsules (LiCaps) with a nitrogen head.

Zindol, when tested in a multi-center trial involving 708 patients to treat nausea during chemotherapy, found that all ginger doses significantly reduced nausea with the middle and lowest doses giving the best results.

Ginger caused no side effects in this study.

Currently, drugs belonging to the class of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, dexamethasone or methylprednisolone are given to control nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy.

Despite the widespread use of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetics, post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting continue to be reported by up to 70% of patients receiving chemotherapy.

Furthermore, these antiemetics have been associated with significant adverse effects, such as sedation, extra-pyramidal side effects and hypotension (associated with dopamine antagonists), as well as headache, diarrhea or constipation.

Zindol provides a desirable substitute which is not only effecive to prevent nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy cycles but  free from any clinically significant adverse effects also, Aphios stated in a press release.

Aphios Corporation is a biotechnology company that is developing enabling technology platforms including nanotechnology drug delivery platforms such as phospholipid nanosomes, biodegradable polymer nanospheres, and protein and crystal nanoparticles for the improved delivery and targeting of poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs, therapeutic proteins and siRNA molecules.

Aphios also develops enhanced therapeutic products for health maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment of certain cancers, infectious diseases and CNS disorders.