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Introduction to Breast Cancer and Chemoprevention
Research Team

Beta Pharmaceutical Limited is committed to the research and development of products and therapies for managing breast cancer based on chemoprevention.

By definition, cancer chemoprevention is the administration of a chemical agent, either natural or synthetic, which is designed to reduce the risk, or to block, delay, or even reverse the progression of the disease and prevent it from becoming clinically relevant.

A rigorous programme of scientific research using purified isomers of tocotrienols, an organic phytonutrient found in palm oil was initiated by the Company in December, 2007. Earlier cell culture and animal studies performed by the laboratories demonstrated that tocotrienols are able to protect cells against the effects of carcinogens, suppress tumour growth and reduce the toxicity of several anticancer therapies.

Most often, traditional chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells but is also very harmful to normal healthy cells as well. Meanwhile, the studies conducted by our scientific team to date have shown that tocotrienols are able to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells and also lessen the harm done to healthy cells.

Against this background, management believes

products and therapies for breast cancer can be developed using palm tocotrienols that do not have the severe side effects of some of the current treatments and/or involve major disfigurative surgery.

The research in question is being conducted in cooperation with the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM), involves four separate laboratories within the College of Pharmacy of ULM and involves extensive research in tocotrienol and tocotrienol derivative pharmaceutics in order to achieve optimized formulation, dosage and delivery.

Leading the research is the University's Pfizer Endowed Professor of Pharmacology, Dr. Paul W. Sylvester, a world-recognized expert in nutrition and cancer.

Being known as the Breast Cancer and Health Project, the research programme is now well underway.

Dr. Paul W. Sylvester