Equol for Prostate and Urinary Health

General Information

This invention is for the prevention and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer and associated improvement in urinary health.  Equol is a soy-isoflavone metabolite that specifically binds 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  This blocks the negative influences of DHT and a secondary action of equol is to bind estrogen receptor beta that has positive influences on prostate health.  This technology has nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications with different modes of delivery (topical, oral, injection, etc.). 

The Market

Equol is a soy-derived isoflavone metabolite that has a primary biological action of specifically binding DHT which blocks the negative influences of this potent androgen on prostate health and equol has a secondary action of binding estrogen receptor beta that has positive influences on prostate health and urinary-voiding function.  As men age, almost all men experience benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is the enlargement of the prostate gland causing urinary problems. The principal androgen in prostate enlargement is DHT.  Current blocking drugs that inhibit the activity of the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT has similar prostate size reducing effects, however the clinical side-effects of the current available drugs are negative.  This invention involves a method of mediating androgen hormone action in such a way to bind circulating DHT, thus reducing prostate size and stimulating estrogen receptor subtypes that further blocks androgen hormone action for improvement in prostate health without side-effects.  Furthermore, its prostate and urinary health applications open a wide array of possibilities in the development of nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.

The Product

Equol can be administered orally via nutraceutical/pharmaceutical capsules twice per day at low mg levels as a therapeutic agent for men’s prostate health to prevent, treat or ameliorate: 1) benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH or prostate enlargement), 2) prostatism [symptoms occurring in men, caused by prostate enlargement manifested by nocturia (need to urinate frequently during the sleep-cycle), frequency of urination during the day or night, decreased voided urine volume, sensory urgency to urinate, inability to start and stop a urine stream, etc.], 3) prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and 4) prostate cancer (malignant neoplasms or carcinoma of the prostate) mediated by androgen hormone action, androgen hormone modulation and estrogen receptor beta steroid activation .
In short, the novel dual biochemical action of equol to enhance prostate and urinary function without side effects represents an important therapeutic agent for men’s health, especially with aging.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending US, Issued in Australia

Inventor:

Dr. Edwin Lephart, Professor, Physiology/Neuroscience

Licensing Information:

Contact: Mike Alder, BYU Technology Transfer Office, 801-422-3049