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  • Mainstream Herb Use
  • Promensil (Novogen)
  • Red Clover
    • Date: February 08, 1999HC# 122184-150

    Re:Promensil Red Clover Extract Going for Mainstream

    Roan, Shari. A 'Natural Product' Plots its Course for Mainstream Acceptance Los Angeles Times. :.

    Herbal supplements are coming to resemble conventional pharmaceuticals to an ever-increasing degree. This article suggests the trend, lamented by practitioners of traditional herbalism, is inevitable, as foreign manufacturers are inspired by potentially huge profits to enter the American market and do what conventional American pharmaceutical companies have been slow to do - 'legitimize' herbs with research and standardization to win over a cautious public. Promensil, an Australian treatment for menopausal symptoms based on red clover, is one recent import. Promensil's manufacturer, Novogen, wants to be seen as 'a serious, science-based company with science-based products,' according to its New York publicist. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a rich source of phytoestrogens, which appear to reduce menopausal discomforts without the potential side effects of synthetic hormone treatments; Novogen has spent $25 million on 14 years of red clover research and is reportedly sponsoring 30 ongoing clinical trials worldwide.

    The company has also initiated a $5 million American marketing campaign featuring nationally known doctors as spokespeople, and has asked leading American gynecologists to test the product. Novogen chairperson Graham Kelly believes that 'the downside of being a natural product is that we get lumped into the category where there are a lot of less-than-ethical companies operating. . . But there is no reason why natural products can't have important health benefits and gain the support of doctors.' Dr. Lila Nachtigall, a menopause authority, says she routinely steered patients away from alternative health products before Promensil. 'This is the first time I do feel comfortable with an alternative product. It does really look good.'

    The bottom line? A one-year non-prescription supply of Promensil costs about $310. With a potential market of tens of millions of post-menopausal boomer women, Novogen had the financial incentive to address the American medical profession's concerns about its 'natural' product.

    - Betsy Levy

    Reference article copyright 1998, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission.Enclosure Bin #150