Sourcing and testing an immune system stimulant derived from an edible tropical fruit

InterPharm Investments Ltd is a ‘search and development’ company focussed on ‘Foods for Special Medical Purposes’. These are products for the dietary management of a medical condition. We have identified an edible fruit which contains a bioactive ingredient with distinctive beneficial activity on the human immune system, and we wish to investigate whether it is possible to develop a commercially viable supply of an extract from the fruit. The proposed project entails development of an extraction/enrichment method followed by a dose-ranging study in a suitable animal model, to provide guidance for a subsequent dose-ranging study in people. The project also includes research on the history and extent of consumption of the fruit in Europe, as such information is a necessary part of an application for regulatory approval. Finished products containing the bioactive would be sold globally through marketing partners.