Gill Oliver hears that company’s plant and herbal products are to help India’s diabetics

Rising living standards in India are a good thing but there is a sting in the tail. A richer diet involving more refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, means the number of people with diabetes or dangerously high blood sugar levels is rising dramatically.

There are 100 million diabetics in India and that number is expected to mushroom, as the middle class continues to expand.

Part of the solution could lie with a small biotech firm from Long Hanborough.

In a clever mix of cutting-edge science and traditional herbal and plant remedies, Phynova has developed Reducose, a patented product made from concentrated extract of mulberry leaves.

It blocks absorption, by preventing carbohydrates breaking down into sugars and since it need only be added to food and drink in tiny amounts, does not harm taste or texture.

Phynova’s chairman Robert Miller said: “In India, part of the problem is that people eat a lot of refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, which converts quickly into sugar. Indians generally like eating quite a lot of sugar.

“Reducose can be valuable in helping people maintain a healthy blood sugar level, so it’s a good weapon against diabetes.”

The Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Downing Street last week was the most recent sign of the Government’s determination to encourage British firms to export to expanding overseas markets.

Phynova is a shining example of this – registering Reducose in India and talking to a number of Indian firms – it is about to strike a number of lucrative deals.

The firm knows overseas trading well, having a strong presence in China, where there are 120 million diabetics and 500 million more classed as ‘pre-diabetic’.

Last month, on the back of the Chinese trade delegation to Britain led by President Xi Jinping, Phynova signed a deal to receive £5m investment from XiangXue Pharmaceutical to support research into traditional Chinese medicines.

Phynova has a Chinese subsidiary in line with its business model to keep the UK element small. There are just 10 staff at its Blenheim Office Park HQ in Long Hanborough.

The firm, which started in the Magdalen Centre Incubator at Oxford Science Park in 2002, has other products based on traditional remedies like Phynova Joint and Muscle Relief Tablets.

Earlier this year, this became the first traditional Chinese medicine approved for over-the-counter use in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency..

The tablets, made from extract of the plant Sigesbeckia which means ‘pig pungent weed’, target backache, minor sports injuries, rheumatic and aches and pains in muscles and joints.

Phynova has worked with Chinese researchers to bring scientific methods to ancient remedies, including testing and clinical trials to satisfy stringent regulatory authorities.

Mr Miller said: “In India and China we see the emergence of a very large middle class who are more affluent.

“It’s a growing market worth several millions over the next few years and a really interesting area that applies modern science to traditional remedies.

“Indian and China have information written over centuries about plants and if you understand how to interpret that in a modern way and apply biotechnology techniques, you have a very creative development platform that can develop ingredients for medicines and healthcare.”

Most firms Phynova is talking to in China and India are large food production companies keen to reduce the negative effect of high-sugar foods and drinks.

“By adding Reducose, it makes products healthier,” Mr Miller said.

It took five years to develop and test Reducose to rigorous clinical and scientific standards.

He added: “I am confident about what we do because we back it up with credible science. Natural products backed by science is a powerful combination.”

Phynova Joint and Muscle Relief Tablets are now being marketed in the UK in high street stores, including Holland & Barrett.

Despite this, the firm is only just starting to see real revenue, typical for a life science organisation with huge research and development spend, Mr Miller pointed out.

“This is a very exciting period for us now we have things out there.”

He says there are opportunities for other Oxfordshire firms too.

He added: “India and China are a good fit for British companies with expertise emerging markets need.

“Even a little company like us, which has taken plants from the Chinese and figured out how to make more out of them, has been welcomed.

“It may have a touch of coals to Newcastle about it but they like it.”