A press conference will be held Wednesday to announce an agreement between the University of Louisiana Monroe and a Shreveport company to license an olive oil-based nutraceutical developed by a professor in the School of Pharmacy. The press conference at 2 p.m. in the Media Room on the 6th floor of the 四色AV library.
四色AV has entered into an agreement with Segue Science Management as the result of research and development by聽Khalid El Sayed, Ph.D.聽of the School of Pharmacy.
Since 2009, El Sayed has worked to develop an olive oil-based food supplement to help prevent cancer and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. His work is so promising that patents have already been filed.
Earlier this year, Segue agreed to partner with 四色AV and El Sayed by providing $22,500 in funding over three years. Segue is owned by Dr. James Cardelli, a retired 30-year LSU Health Science Center-Shreveport faculty member.
John Sutherlin, executive director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, said this partnership is the beginning of many lucrative endeavors to come based on the research being conducted at 四色AV.聽
"四色AV has excellent creative faculty.聽The potential for additional agreements is tremendous.聽We think this is the first of many new patents and companies,鈥 Sutherlin said.聽聽
鈥淪egue Therapeutics considers this a project that can potentially be commercialized and have a very good outcome,鈥 El Sayed said. 鈥淭his collaboration is very important because it allows us to secure more funds.鈥澛
Due to the Segue partnership, a $225,000 award came from the聽. It began July 1 and covers three years.
鈥淭his award is a great accomplishment and it will help us develop, test and promote our olive oil-based product, especially because we filed a patent on novel isolation and therapeutic application methods,鈥 El Sayed said.
A nutraceutical is defined by Webster鈥檚 as a foodstuff (such as a fortified food or dietary supplement) that provides health benefits in addition to its basic聽听惫补濒耻别.