INFERTILE COUPLES: HELP COMES FROM THE RESEARCH OF S&R FARMACEUTICI

The Research & Development Division of S&R Farmaceutici spa has developed help for couples tackling infertility. The company based in Bastia Umbra ended 2020 on a positive note, with the publication of three of its studies by three prestigious scientific journals (Frontiers in nutrition on 13th November, Fertility and Sterility on 24th November and the Journal of Clinical Medicine on 11th December), conducted in synergy with researchers from the University of Perugia (Unipg).

Resveratrol is the main focal point of all studies, a polyphenol with an important effect on the energy of cells and mitochondrial function in particular. This gave rise to the intuition that stimulating the energy state of gametes, namely male or female sex cells that combine in the fertilisation process, the fertility of couples could be improved.

Bernard Fioretti, researcher and professor of nutritional sciences at the Department of chemistry, biology and biotechnologies of Unipg, explains: “Studies have investigated the effectiveness of the nutraceutical product Genante, a food supplement containing Revifast, an ingredient which in turn contains trans-Resveratrol, distributed by S&R Farmaceutici and recommended for those seeking pregnancy or undergoing assisted reproduction treatment, suitable for both men and women. In the first, pre-clinical trial we saw how Revifast is an improved oral formulation with better gastric absorption and bioavailability compared to pure Resveratrol; in the second study, also involving professor Sandro Gerli, we saw how Resveratrol depolarises membrane potential in human granulosa cells and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis. In short, it increases the number of mitochondria and this leads to an increase in energy that these cells transfer to the female gamete and then to the oocyte, which increases the probability of pregnancy.

Rossana Iannitti, medical science liaison at S&R Farmaceutici, specified that “Revifast technology enables the full exploitation of the benefits and potential of the in vivo Resveratrol molecule. It is a technology that binds pure Resveratrol to a magnesium hydroxide matrix. This union creates a semi-solid dispersion that is defined liquid-like, for easy uptake thanks to the acidic pH of the stomach. Therefore, through an acid-base reaction, the molecule is unleashed in a form that is already partly dissolved, thus aiding absorption.

Lastly, the third study on idiopathic male infertility showed how Genante increases the number, concentration and motility of spermatozoa. The clinical pilot study was conducted by S&R Farmaceutici together with professor Elisabetta Costantini, director of the Urology Unit specialised in andrology and uro-gynaecology and the Hospital of Terni – Unipg, and a team including Ester Illiano, Francesco Trama, and professor Alessandro Zucchi from the University of Pisa.

Costantini said “In Italy 15-20% of couples are infertile. The causes are different in nature but in 30% of cases there is no precise cause, referred to as idiopathic infertility. Our study was limited to a small group of male patients and highlighted how after two months of taking Genante, the concentration of spermatozoa increased in seminal liquid, along with motility. What gives Genante that innovative edge over other products on the market is its technology: Revifast, which guarantees Resveratrol with a higher bioavailability. What makes Resveratrol so interesting is that it has a combined action with vitamin complexes which acts not only on men but on women too and this is important because the truth is infertility is a problem for couples.

Fioretti concluded: “Results like these represent success in technological transfer between Universities and pharmaceutical companies and therefore, the end consumer. This is why we have began a new clinical study with Professor Gerli, to verify whether Genante is capable of modifying female fertility. The results are promising and encouraging and are now being analysed by specialist journals: together with those obtained in the clinical study on men, without a doubt they will prove to be another opportunity for reducing the phenomenon of infertility.