The product is unique in its ability to provide both easily absorbable fat calories and improve the absorption of fat and nutrients in accompanying meals and beverages
Envara Health, a venture backed company focused on advanced nutrition based in the US, has launched a new, clinically proven medical food Encala® , formulated to address fat malabsorption in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and other exocrine pancreatic diseases.
The product is unique in its ability to provide both easily absorbable fat calories and improve the absorption of fat and nutrients in accompanying meals and beverages.
An estimated 86% of patients with CF must take pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to facilitate fat absorption. While PERT helps, it does not fully correct the problem. Insufficient caloric absorption causes developmental issues in children, chronic malnutrition in adults, and accelerates progression of the lung disease by which cystic fibrosis is characterized. The structured lipid within Encala does not require PERT or digestion to be absorbed.
Encala’s unique mechanism of action leads to improved absorption of the healthy calories in Encala as well as other fat and fat-soluble vitamins in the accompanying meal.
The therapy was proven to be efficacious, safe, and well-tolerated in patients with CF and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in a National Institutes of Health sponsored study. The 12-month study included 110 subjects and was placebo controlled and double-blinded in 10 accredited CF centers. Subjects randomized to Encala with more severe fat absorption and higher clinical need experienced a statistically significant BMI z-score over 3 months compared to those randomized to an active placebo that had the same caloric composition. The improved BMI was the result of an increase in both weight and height velocity, indicating catch-up growth. The therapy also improved absorption and values of other important nutrients, including essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and choline.
Encala is a taste-neutral, gluten-free, non-GMO, plant-based powder. It is a source of highly absorbable long-chain fats, including essential fatty acids, and an alternative to medium-chain triglycerides typically derived from palm, coconut or vegetable oil found in most nutritional supplements.