Liposomes can encapsulate and release small molecules and drugs to target specific parts in the body. Specnova CEO Sebastian Balcombe said his company can load 70% of the liposome and has the capacity to validate and characterizes liposomes “much deeper than what's done in the industry.”
For example, Specnova conducts blood draws over 24 hours to get a full picture of ingredient efficacy as well as examining realistic doses of supplements that people take.
"Since we're talking about vitamin C, people take maybe 500 mg or a gram," Balcombe noted. "You see studies out there using four, six, eight grams so they can manipulate the spike in the blood, but people don't take four grams or six grams at one time."
He added: "You need to look at actual endpoints that show efficacy—not that it just got into the blood maybe faster or a higher concentration, but it got to the tissue of interest where the benefit comes from. So again, on the vitamin C study [we conducted], we looked at the vitamin C levels concentrated in white blood cells and leukocytes… And then probably the most important difference again, why we're really ahead, even just on the clinical research side… is how does bioavailability equate to efficacy? It might not. You need to look at actual endpoints that show efficacy.”
Multiple tests
Specnova conducts six tests to determine the quality and productivity of the liposomes it uses. These testing methods help determine real liposomes from fakes. Balcombe said that the proliferation of fake liposomes is a problem the dietary supplement industry faces and that industry leaders have approached him to help solve it.
"We've been asked, ‘Can you set up the infrastructure for a third party?’ — but that's not our place to do that," he said. "The competitors need to know how to test products. They shouldn't be putting stuff out there if they don't even know how to characterize or validate what they're selling."
