New Publication on Boswellia serrata Ingredients Finds that AprèsFlex® 5-Day Joint Support is Most Efficacious

Morristown, NJ 28 May 2024 – PLT Health Solutions, Inc announced that a recent scientific review of clinical studies of Boswellia-based ingredients found the company’s AprèsFlex® 5-Day Joint Support ingredient (also known as Aflapin®) was most effective at helping study subjects with osteoarthritis (OA) manage pain, stiffness and overall physical function. The study, published in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing in February 2024, was a systematic review and sub-group meta-analysis study of multiple clinical trials and different brands of Boswellia serrata ingredients.1 Out of 828 studies identified, it reviewed thirteen clinical trials and nine different ingredients. The data regarding the following evaluation parameters were collected: visual analog scale (VAS) score, Lequesne’s Functional Index (LFI) score, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores for pain, stiffness, and functionality. As part of the sub-group analysis, the authors concluded: “AflapinⓇ [AprèsFlex®] supplementation showed greater reduction in VAS (MD: -16.09 vs -4.68), LFI (MD: -3.81 vs -2.01), WOMAC-pain (MD: -18.68 vs -7.07), WOMAC-stiffness (MD: -14.25 vs -3.78), and WOMAC-function (MD: -14.99 vs -8.41) scores as compared to other Boswellia serrata therapies.”

According to Seth Flowerman, President & CEO of PLT Health Solutions, this independent review provides formulators of leading joint health products additional confidence in the efficacy of PLT’s leading joint health portfolio. “Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of Boswellia serrata as a safe and effective path to supporting joint comfort and better mobility. But not all Boswellia-based ingredients are the same in composition or demonstrated efficacy. It is essential to review the clinical science that supports these ingredients, so we can offer consumers the best products with the best results,” he said. “AprèsFlex is the best studied Boswellia serrata extract on the market today, with four double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. These studies demonstrate joint comfort efficacy starting at just 5 days with a very low 100 mg/day dose, along with improvements in mobility and cartilage preservation and protection not found in any other Boswellia ingredient. It’s a lineup of benefits that is unmatched in the space,” he added.

Groundbreaking six-month study will power innovative mobility products

In a recently completed randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eighty normal-to-overweight women and men (age 40-75) received either 100 mg/day of AprèsFlex or a matching placebo for six months.2 Study endpoints included joint comfort (WOMAC, VAS, Lequesne Functional Index); functional capacity testing (six-minute walk, stair climb); MRI evaluation of the knee joints to assess joint space narrowing, cartilage thickness, and cartilage volume; and analysis of several biomarkers related to cartilage breakdown and inflammation.

Subjects taking AprèsFlex experienced steady improvement in joint comfort, with up to a 70% reduction in pain by the end of the study. Those same subjects experienced 25% less stiffness in the first month and a 72% reduction in stiffness at six months. AprèsFlex subjects also had a 71% improvement in physical function at six months.

MRI assessments of femoral, patellar, lateral tibial, and medial tibial cartilage thickness showed decreases in the placebo group over six months, whereas cartilage thickness and volume were maintained and even slightly improved in the AprèsFlex group at 180 days. Significant decreases compared to placebo in three biomarkers of cartilage degradation validated these cartilage-protective effects of AprèsFlex. Biomarkers of systemic and joint inflammation were also significantly improved in the AprèsFlex group compared to placebo.

According to Dr. Jeremy Appleton, Director of Medical & Scientific Affairs, at PLT the company is committed to continuing the development of clinical science to support its ingredients. “At PLT Health Solutions, we invest in understanding how our ingredients work and how they can benefit consumers. With AprèsFlex, we started out with one- and three-month long studies and have now extended our understanding to 6 months. We also extended our clinical assessments to include imaging of the cartilage and various functional tests, with results that set AprèsFlex well apart from other joint health ingredients. Our category-defining studies, with validated outcome measures and full transparency to the materials and methods used, provide credibility to the compelling claims we can make about our products’ efficacy,” he said.

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1 Dubey V, Kheni D, Sureja V. Efficacy evaluation of standardized Boswellia serrata extract (AflapinⓇ) in osteoarthritis: A systematic review and sub-group meta-analysis study. Explore (NY). Published online February 10, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2024.02.001
2 Kumar B, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of a boswellia composition SN13108F to improve joint function and cartilage protection in subjects with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of knee. [Manuscript in development.]