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| Research Organization | |
| Industry | Aesthetics |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | , |
| Website | OxbioLabs.com |
Oxford BioLabs is a UK based company focusing on the research and development of novel health & beauty therapies. It has received media attention for its hair growth product TRX2. [1] [2]
Oxford BioLabs was founded in August 2008 as a Limited Liability Company in England and Wales by former scientists of the University of Oxford, including biochemist and entrepreneur Thomas Whitfield. The company have German based Research Facilities located in Biopark Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. According to an article published by The Daily Telegraph the company is bootstrapped by its founders as well as by NESTA and the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE). [1] [3]
The company manufactures and distributes a dietary supplement called TRX2 [4] (from Greek trichos for hair and 2 for second generation) which it claimed reduced hair loss - see below for controversy. The product works by engaging potassium channels, which allows them to reabsorb essential nutrients. [5] The product is a dietary supplement, not exactly a drug, and hence it doesn't need to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [6] [7]
In January 2014 the UK Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against TRX2 and Oxford Biolabs, citing that advertisements that the company had run for TRX2 were misleading and in breach of EU advertising codes. [8] The company agreed and changed their advertising in line with the code of conduct. [9]
Biotin also called vitamin H (the H represents Haar und Haut, German words for "hair and skin"), vitamin B7 or vitamin B8 (in many countries like France, where vitamin B7 is used for Inositol) is a water-soluble B vitamin. It is involved in a wide range of metabolic processes, both in humans and in other organisms, primarily related to the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids.
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement the diet when taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or synthetic, individually or in combination, in order to increase the quantity of their consumption. The class of nutrient compounds includes vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids and amino acids. Dietary supplements can also contain substances that have not been confirmed as being essential to life, but are marketed as having a beneficial biological effect, such as plant pigments or polyphenols. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients, as for example collagen from chickens or fish. These are also sold individually and in combination, and may be combined with nutrient ingredients. In the United States and Canada, dietary supplements are considered a subset of foods, and are regulated accordingly. The European Commission has also established harmonized rules to help insure that food supplements are safe and properly labeled.
Ephedra is a medicinal preparation from the plant Ephedra sinica. Several additional species belonging to the genus Ephedra have traditionally been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, and are a possible candidate for the Soma plant of Indo-Iranian religion. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. Native Americans and Mormon pioneers drank a tea brewed from other Ephedra species, called "Mormon tea" and "Indian tea".
Health claims on food labels and in food marketing are claims by manufacturers of food products that their food will reduce the risk of developing a disease or condition. For example, it is claimed by the manufacturers of oat cereals that oat bran can reduce cholesterol, which will lower the chances of developing serious heart conditions. Vague health claims include that the food inside is "healthy", "organic", "low fat", "non-GMO", "no sugar added", or "natural".
The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healthy individuals in every demographic in the United States. While developed for the US population, it has been adopted by other countries, though not universally.
Minoxidil is a medication used for the treatment of male-pattern hair loss. It is an antihypertensive vasodilator. It is available as a generic medication and over the counter.
A nutraceutical or 'bioceutical' is a pharmaceutical alternative which claims physiological benefits. In the US, "nutraceuticals" are largely unregulated, as they exist in the same category as dietary supplements and food additives by the FDA, under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
TrimSpa was a dietary supplement designed for weight loss, marketed by the company Goen Technologies and headed by Alexander Szynalski. The ephedra-based supplement was marketed by TrimSpa to help "stave off hunger", until ephedra was banned from the United States. TrimSpa's parent company, Goen Technologies, filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2008.
Nutrilite is a brand of mineral, vitamin, and dietary supplements developed in 1934 by Carl F. Rehnborg. Nutrilite products are currently manufactured by Access Business Group, a subsidiary of Alticor whose products are sold via Amway worldwide. The Nutrilite brand is known as Nutriway in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.
Vinpocetine is a synthetic derivative of the vinca alkaloid vincamine. Vincamine is extracted from either the seeds of Voacanga africana or the leaves of Vinca minor.
Hydroxycut is a brand of dietary supplements that is marketed as a weight loss aid. Hydroxycut was originally developed and manufactured by MuscleTech Research and Development; MuscleTech was sold to Iovate Health Sciences in 2003–2004 and declared bankruptcy in 2005; Iovate continues to use MuscleTech as a brand to market Hydroxycut.
New England Biolabs (NEB) produces and supplies recombinant and native enzyme reagents for the life science research, as well as providing solutions supporting genome editing, synthetic biology and next-generation sequencing. NEB also provides free access to research tools such as REBASE, InBASE, and Polbase.
The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is the branch of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that regulates food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, drugs, biologics, medical devices, and radiological products.
ConsumerLab.com, LLC. is a privately held American company registered in White Plains, NY. It is a publisher of test results on health, wellness, and nutrition products. Consumer Labs is not a laboratory, but contracts studies to outside laboratories. It purchases supplement products and other consumer goods directly from public storefronts and publishes reports based on the results. It primarily derives revenue from the sale of subscriptions to its online publications. Other sources of revenue include a proprietary certification program, licensing fees, contents re-publication license fees and advertising.
The regulation of food and dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is a process governed by various statutes enacted by the United States Congress and interpreted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). Pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and accompanying legislation, the FDA has authority to oversee the quality of substances sold as food in the United States, and to monitor claims made in the labeling about both the composition and the health benefits of foods.
Oxford Entrepreneurs is an Oxford-based British student society which was founded in 2002 to encourage entrepreneurship among students at University of Oxford. It is the largest entrepreneurship society in Europe. Its alumni have founded some of Britain's most successful startups, including Monzo, GoCardless, Onfido, Quid, and PlinkArt.
Thomas Whitfield is a British/German biochemist and entrepreneur. He is known for the dietary supplement TRX2 and his work on DesignTheTime.com.
TRX2 is a dietary supplement marketed for individuals with hair loss. It is manufactured and sold by Oxford BioLabs in the United Kingdom, marketed in 2011.
The Chemins Company is a dietary supplement manufacturer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The company, founded in 1974 by James Cameron, became embroiled in a series of criminal investigations in 1994 after a woman died and more than 100 other people became ill after taking one of the company’s products marketed under the brand name Nature's Nutrition Formula One. The adverse events were later linked to the product having been tainted with ephedrine. A three-year federal investigation, which revealed that the company had doctored records, misled FDA investigators, and purposely hindered inspections, led to Cameron being sentenced to 21 months in prison and him and the company being fined $4.7 million. The company also paid out $750,000 to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that the company's protein powder supplements contained approximately half the protein content and twice the carbohydrate content listed on the label.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 ("DSHEA"), is a 1994 statute of United States Federal legislation which defines and regulates dietary supplements. Under the act, supplements are effectively regulated by the FDA for Good Manufacturing Practices under 21 CFR Part 111.
it's actually just another dietary supplement and as such is not approved by the FDA.