What is a "food-derived bioactive technology" and a "functional food"?
It is becoming increasingly accepted by the scientific community that there are links between specific food groups and their capacity to help reduce the risk of certain diseases. For example, some compounds specifically found in broccoli have been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers. Consuming the actual food may be insufficient to maximise the health benefit due to a number of factors including: the quantity of the food that would need to be consumed; the frequency with which it would need to be consumed; and the way in which the food is prepared prior to consumption.

These health-promoting compounds can be extracted from the food source (called a food-derived bioactive technology) and reintroduced into consumer-friendly lifestyle products which are proven to maintain health (a functional food). Therefore, instead of eating four large servings of broccoli per week, the same benefit may be technically delivered via a 250ml orange juice drink containing the bioactive if consumed once per week.

How is Provexis differentiated from other companies in the market?
Provexis is an evidence-based business which means that we only develop food-derived bioactive technologies and functional food products that have been scientifically proven to deliver a health benefit. This is a different approach from those that promote functional food products in a more generic way with less scientific evidence. We believe that functional food products with strong scientific proof carrying health claims and endorsements will endure and prosper as this rapidly growing market matures.

Provexis is also differentiated with regard to our speed-to-market credentials and the fact that we can create shareholder value via a combination of technology licensing and own brand development.

What food-derived bioactive technologies are being developed by Provexis?
Provexis has developed Fruitflow, a patented extract from tomato that has been proven to inhibit blood platelet aggregation, thereby reducing the risk of thrombosis. A thrombosis is an aberrant blood clot that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Provexis has integrated Fruitflow into a fruit juice beverage called Sirco. When launched - initially in the United Kingdom - it will be the first functional food carrying the claim Helps maintain a healthy heart and benefit circulation with a measurable benefit within hours of consumption.

Provexis is developing a proprietary extract from a special breed of broccoli (non-GMO) which is enriched in compounds known to reduce the risk of specific cancers. Provexis intends to use this food-derived bioactive to underpin a new range of functional beverages with scientifically proven protective properties.

In addition, Provexis is developing a patented extract from plantain with a view to developing a novel medical food for the dietary management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, specifically Crohns Disease in the first instance.

Thanks, bos: fuller quote than on the AFX. Still haven't seen any financial data. Happy its a winner and have an exploratory investment. Just found out from blueindex that they are prepared to cover with CFDs.

Eric

"A Mintel report published in August 2005 estimated the market for
heart healthy products in the US was worth $18.7bn and this market is forecast
to grow by 16% by 2010."

i think that sentence on its own is enough to give you palpitations !!!! it is really difficult to find a downside to this share , as long as the product actually sells.
opposing views appreciated just to stop us rampers getting carried away :)

did anyone else see the news of reports in the last week associated with britvics decline about the rapid change in eating habits? including huge rises in proboitic sales etc in the Uk, decline in sales of readymeals, increase in fruit and veg sales...

all points to a consumer change which is happy with enhanced food stuffs and healthier eating.

GN

Not in but looking good PXS has been promoted to Drivers Tips.

thanks for the product placement.....

Bos, have been trying to find a downside here but yet to find one. The packaging certainly looks appealing/attractive. That's usually the main initial selling point but it's the repeat sales that will really boost the figures. I don't know what it tastes like (have to get down to my local Tesco) but if it tastes as good as it looks?
JTF

http://www.sircoheart.com/

http://www.fruitflow.info/

cheers , jtf.

What is the unit price? Noticed earlier release statement about larger container being on market by mid year. How many is each store stocking and can we deduce the sales volume? Anything else to help with projections re Sirco sales values. Agree bos re the huge size of the US market in particular. Happy to be in, even in a small way.

2.19 for a carton = 4 x 250ml portions.
Most stores seem to stock about 12 cartons at a time.
Tesco only carrying blueberry and apple.
Reports back from investors state product selling well but will need to wait for an official RNS.
The big money's going to come from licensing fruitflow as an active ingredient in anything from fruit juice to baked beans.

We have tried both Sirco flavours and consider them to have an unpleasant aftertaste - wont buy them again at 2.19 a carton. Bought from Sainsburys in Southampton.

Provexis PLC
06 April 2006

PROVEXIS PLC
('Provexis' or the 'Company')

Trading Update

Provexis, the nutraceutical company that develops scientifically-proven
functional and medical foods, issues a trading update for the year ended 31
March 2006.

The Company's lead product Sirco(TM) was launched in Sainsbury's, Waitrose and
Tesco on 2 January 2006, 26 January 2006 and 4 February 2006 respectively.
Sales, operating costs and the cash position for the year ended 31 March 2006
are in line with expectations.

Sirco(TM) is the first heart health product to contain the patented
Fruitflow(TM) technology. Fruitflow(TM) works by reducing blood platelet
aggregation ('thinning the blood'), a significant contributing factor to a
thrombosis (internal blood clot) which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Licensing talks are on-going with major food and beverage corporations regarding
the global licensing of the Fruitflow(TM) technology across different
application areas. As previously announced on the 9 March 2006, an independent
Expert Panel in the United States affirmed that Fruitflow(TM) was Generally
Recognised as Safe ('GRAS'). Together with the existing clearance in the EU,
this development paves the way for products containing Fruitflow(TM) to be
marketed across two principal target markets.

In addition to Fruitflow(TM), the Company continues to develop its product
pipeline with two other technology platforms which are intended to underpin new
product launches in 2007 and 2008. The first of these products will be a
functional beverage, containing a glucosinolate-enriched broccoli extract for
reducing the risk of specific types of cancer. The second product will be a
medical food, based on a patented extract from plantain fruit, designed to
extend remission time in patients with Crohn's Disease.


For further information please contact:

Provexis plc
Dr Stephen Franklin 020 8392 6631


Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial
Emma Kent/Victoria Geoghegan 020 7861 3232








This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

i love both flavours.so does my wife and many of my friends,they taste much better than a STROKE would.some supermarkets are now giving it more shelf space..todays news remind's us what masive potential this share has,the sky's the limit..must top up my fridge and my share holding..

very difficult to release something like a reasonable trading statement when the product has only been in the shops for a few weeks. if i get the chance later i will phone the company and ask where this 2.5 million advertising budget is being/planned on being spent because i have seen nothing so far. (unless someone else calls them first). but, so far so good.

Morning. Have seen adverts in the Sunday times magazine a few times. Personally I do not like the name sirco, but if it sells who cares.

Just trying to think through likely volume. Starting from the outlets: say 1000 at avaerage 20 cartons stocked say one week's stock would be 1 million unit sales or arounf 32m. Starting from the user market: 3 million statin users should give 1 million consumers who should buy regularly; if 50 a year would give volume of 50 million p.a. or 100m sales. Wide discrepancy! But I reckon that msot people who start will become addicts whether they kile the flavour or not. I take a statin table plus an aspirin each day: if I were convinced that Sirco should replace the aspirin then I would take my drink religously wrong word: who does religion serriously?). Perhaps this rumination might start others off. I do suspect the cap. could quickly grow to the 100m area: what about the US market?

Eric

maybe the Sirco would also improve your typing/spelling....LOL

good luck everyone

GN

global nomad, eric's spelling is usually fine .......... unless he's been on the rioja ;)

nice little write up in shares mag in a feature about the uk healthy food market


"Functional foods company Provexis (PXS:AIM) also has high hopes
for the health drink it launched this year. The company joined AIM in
2005 through a reverse takeover of Nutrinnovator and has recently
begun selling its Sirco health drink, which contains a patented tomato
extract called Fruitflow.
The Fruitflow technology has been proven by scientists to help thin the
blood in the body, which can reduce the chances of forming potentially
dangerous blood clots. Sirco has been endorsed by HEART UK, a charity
which specialises in high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
When we approached retailers, they wanted a charitable
endorsement on the product and we had to present our evidence to
HEART UKs scientific panel, says CEO Dr Stephen Franklin, adding
that the approval has helped with the marketing campaign.
As the drink has only been on the market for a matter of months,
there are no sales figures yet but the initial reactions have been
promising. Arbuthnot analyst Robert Sanders has a target price of 15p
for the shares, 36% above their current 11p. However, the company is
also looking at global licensing deals for the Fruitflow technology as it
could be incorporated into any already existing drinks brand. Franklin says it is hoping to have some news about a potential deal within the
next six months and Sanders believes that a licensing deal would be a
huge catalyst for the shares pushing them well above the target price."

Thanks bos for posting that: why make the drink when someone else can add it under license. Its also a way of capturing additional m,arket and accessing the people whom it will really help. If 3 million in the UK then 30 million in the US and how many worldwide? Beginning to believe my calculation of a cap. of 100m and will build up my cfd position. By the way, bos, you can take out a cfd with blue index on PXS on a 4:1 margin.

OK glomad, as bos says, it was a particularly good red that night - will dig out the bottle if you want to know. Only had a coulple of glasses at the Golf Club, have checked my spelling and it is bolddlly acculate!

Eric

cheers eric,

wonder if fruitflow can be added to any drink, rioca perhaps. Isn't a little red wine good for you anyway?

and while we're at it what about food.

enjoy the w/e

GN