Daiichi Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. of Japan is set to launch a new clinical trial that will investigate the effect of Pantesin brand pantethine on lipid management and the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in the North American population.

World-renowned cardiologist Dr. John Rumberger and the Contract Research Division of KGK Synergize Inc, Ontario, Canada, will conduct the randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of 150 subjects in two North American locations. Study subjects at low to moderate risk levels of cardiovascular disease will be treated over a 16-week period, and results are expected by the third quarter of 2009.

An internationally recognized specialist in preventive cardiology, Dr. Rumberger currently is director of cardiac imaging at the Princeton, NJ, Longevity Center and clinical professor of medicine at Ohio State University. He will offer consultation on protocol design and comment on the findings of the clinical trial.

Sold in Japan for more than 35 years, Pantesin has been available as a dietary supplement in the U.S. since 1992. Although Pantesin’s effectiveness in safely lowering cholesterol levels has been documented in more than 30 clinical studies, the new study will be the most expansive ever conducted using North American subjects.

“Maintaining an optimal balance among LDL, HDL, and triglycerides is more important than simply lowering cholesterol and key to cardiovascular health,” Dr. Rumberger said. “A low-fat and modified carbohydrate diet, exercise and regular consumption of dietary supplements formulated with scientifically proven, high quality ingredients can help individuals achieve a healthy blood lipid profile.”

He continued to say, “A large body of research points to pantethine’s effectiveness in Asian and Western European populations, where oral administration of pantethine has consistently shown an ability to favorably impact a variety of risk factors in people with hypercholesterolemia, arteriosclerosis and diabetes. The aim of the current trial is to confirm these results in a clinical setting in North America where cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death.”