GLEN ALLEN, Va., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: CIGX) has announced that the company is pleased to initiate the launch today of Anatabloc™, a dietary supplement that is designed to support the immune system in maintaining healthy levels of inflammation. Anatabloc™, developed by the company's Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals subsidiary, is being launched via a dedicated website (www.anatabloc.com) where the product can be purchased. The product also can be purchased through a toll-free customer center (1-800-778-2031).
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Anatabloc™ contains the dietary ingredient anatabine citrate. Anatabine is an alkaloid that is found in a variety of plants in the Solinaceae family including the tobacco plant as well as in eggplant, green peppers and green tomatoes. Anatabine citrate, combined with Vitamins A and D3, is believed to assist the body in maintaining anti-inflammatory support. Excess inflammation is linked with a variety of auto-immune conditions that include thyroid dysfunction and arthritis. A provisional patent application has been filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office for the Anatabloc™ product.
As the company noted in an earlier release, a human trial examining the role of Anatabloc™ in subjects who are at risk for excessive inflammation is currently being conducted (the FIint study). Another human trial, conducted by Rock Creek, will begin in late September, and the company expects that a third trial, to be overseen by researchers at the University of Pisa, will begin during the fourth quarter.
A group of Richmond area physicians and healthcare providers are gathering at the Virginia Governor’s mansion today to learn more about the state of the research on Anatabloc™. The lead researchers who have overseen pre-clinical studies will discuss the results of testing with this group. They will be joined by researchers from the University of Virginia Medical School and the VCU Medical Center who also are interested in studying further potentials for Anatabloc™. Rock Creek has solicited research proposals from these institutions, and expects to issue planning grants for the preparation of full research proposals. The company anticipates that several of the planning grants will be announced today. Jonnie R. Williams, Star Scientific CEO, commented: “The tobacco plant led the way in growing the economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia 400 years ago. As a Virginia-based company, we now want to lead the way in understanding how the tobacco plant can yield important benefits to human health.”
Anatabloc™ is the second dietary supplement to be developed by Rock Creek. The company's first product, CigRx®, was introduced in early August 2010. CigRx® contains the dietary ingredients anatabine citrate and an extract of yerba mate, and provides smokers with a non-nicotine, non-tobacco alternative when they have the urge to light a cigarette. In addition to a dedicated website (www.cigrx.com) and purchase portal via Amazon.com, the CigRx® retail presence has expanded significantly in the past two months. It now is available at all Richmond-Tri City CVS/Pharmacy stores as well as in roughly 500 stores in independent retail and convenience stores in New England.
Curtis Wright, MD, MPH, Senior VP and Scientific Director with Rock Creek, commented, "It is exciting and professionally satisfying to see the research of the past few years resulting not only in new discoveries and intellectual property, but to now be manifest in new products of real benefit to smokers and non-smokers alike."
Certain statements in this press release other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "continues," "likely," "may," "opportunity," "potential," "projects," "will," "expects," "plans," "intends" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, whether in the negative or the affirmative. These statements reflect our current beliefs and are based on information currently available to us. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties, factors and contingencies include, without limitation, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives through Star Tobacco and Rock Creek, the uncertainties inherent in the progress of scientific research, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, potential disputes concerning our intellectual property, risks associated with litigation regarding such intellectual property, uncertainties associated with the development, testing and regulatory approvals of our low-TSNA tobacco, related tobacco products and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, market acceptance of our new smokeless tobacco products and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, competition from companies with greater resources than us, our dependence on key employees and on our prior strategic relationships with Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in light of its combination with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Inc.
Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. See additional discussion under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 16, 2011, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's other filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. All information in this release is current as of this date, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise upon any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
About Star Scientific
Star Scientific is a technology-oriented company with a mission to reduce the harm associated with tobacco at every level. It is engaged in the development of dissolvable smokeless tobacco products that deliver fewer carcinogenic toxins, principally through the utilization of the innovative StarCured® tobacco curing technology. Its subsidiary, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is involved in the development of nutraceuticals as well as products to address neurological and mood disorders. Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals has scientific and research offices in Gloucester, MA, and a regulatory office in Washington, D.C. Star Scientific has a Corporate and Sales Office in Glen Allen, VA, an Executive, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs office in Bethesda, MD, and a manufacturing facility in Chase City, VA.
See Star's website at: http://www.starscientific.com
Contact:
Sara Troy Machir
Vice President, Communications & Investor Relations
smachir@starscientific.com
(301) 654-8300
