A Kelowna-based biotech company is leading the way in how our bodies process medication, helping to make hypertension and antiviral medications more effective.

Lexaria Bioscience develops technology that can be used to make different medications work more effectively. CEO Chris Bunka said Lexaria香蕉视频直播檚 leading technology is called DehydraTECH, which helps the body 香蕉视频直播渁lter香蕉视频直播� the way it detects the drug while it香蕉视频直播檚 in a person香蕉视频直播檚 gastrointestinal system.

香蕉视频直播淲hat happens is DehydraTECH allows the drug to take a shortcut and bypass the liver, get in your lymphatic system and drop into blood circulation,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 really the secret behind our speed and efficacy in delivering a bigger fraction of the drug into your bloodstream.香蕉视频直播�

This means that not only does the drug get into a person香蕉视频直播檚 bloodstream faster, but a higher proportion of it is actually used. When this happens, Bunka added that this also means there are fewer side effects.

香蕉视频直播淥ne of the reasons people hate taking any drugs is side effects. It might cause diarrhea, headaches, sleepiness香蕉视频直播� but because (with DehydraTECH) we can use a smaller quantity of drug to achieve the same result, side effects go down.香蕉视频直播�

DehydraTECH is already available in limited quantities, mostly in the U.S. and mainly used for oral cannabinoids. Now, Lexaria is studying how it can use DehydraTECH for oral nicotine, hypertension medication, as well as COVID-19 antiviral medication.

If the technology is used for treatment, that would mean a more affordable hypertension drug that is safe and easily accessible for more people.

So how does Lexaria香蕉视频直播檚 technology work?

It involves combining an active pharmaceutical ingredient with fatty acid oil, then mixing it with a common carrier ingredient like tapioca starch or gum arabic. Then, the DehydraTECH process is applied, which results in a powder or liquid, which can then be used in a pill, tablet or oil.

Bunka said they are holding three clinical trials for hypertension medication in Europe this year.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e filling up our binders and creating lots of data and information香蕉视频直播� so when we knock on the doors of Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson, we can show them what we can do with their drugs,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Hypertension may be their focus for now, but Bunka added he hopes their work with antivirals can also help people who need it, especially in areas where COVID-19 vaccinations are low.

香蕉视频直播淣o matter where you are, there is no way that all the people in these populations will be vaccinated,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淏ecause of that, there will always be a need to treat people who have come down with COVID, so we香蕉视频直播檙e working on a number of drugs to treat COVID symptoms.香蕉视频直播�

Once trials for Lexaria香蕉视频直播檚 hypertension medication are finished, it will be submitted for approval and be made available in the U.S. first.

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twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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