Tampa Bay Research Institute's 25th Anniversary Coincides With Launch of Patented New Botanical Compound

Licensing Agreement with Allera Health Products, Inc.
Helps Bring Tampa Bay Research Institute’s ProLigna™ to Market

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – (Fall 2006) – This year, the Tampa Bay Research Institute (TBRI) marks its 25th anniversary and is also celebrating one of the Institute’s crowning achievements. Through a licensing agreement with TBRI, Allera Health Products, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla. is launching ImmunExtraTM, an all-natural supplement that optimizes immune cell activity. The active ingredient in the product is ProLigna™, a compound isolated from a pine cone extract that was researched and patented by TBRI over the course of 15 years.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling for everyone at the Institute to commemorate our 25th anniversary with the launch of a new product that features a compound we have worked so hard to study and develop,” said Akiko Tanaka, Ph.D., president and co-founder of TBRI. “The public can now benefit from the extensive work that went into the development of ProLigna™.”

The Beginning: Tampa Bay Research Institute
When Dr. Tanaka founded TBRI in 1981 with colleague Dr. Neihan Nonoyama, the Institute’s first president who passed away in 1995, they set out to scientifically examine the opportunities for optimizing the body’s natural immune system using a combination of conventional Western medicine and the natural remedies associated with Eastern medicine. TBRI is Florida’s first independent biomedical research facility, and it is housed in a 33,000-square-foot facility on Roosevelt Boulevard in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Fla.

“Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind,” pointed out
Dr. Tanaka. “In my homeland of Japan, people have used the pine cone extract as a natural remedy for centuries. It has also been documented that the ancient Greeks made use of its natural healing properties.”

Scientific Recognition
TBRI pioneered the discovery of the relationship between viral infections and cancer. The Institute holds a number of patents for its discoveries. In addition, the TBRI was awarded the first HIV/AIDS study grant in Florida.

First Commercial Product
ImmunExtraTM is the first commercial product based on ProLigna™. The product represents a great example of how the concepts of high technology and folk remedies can come together to create innovative new products. ImmunExtraTM will be sold initially online atwww.immunextra.com and through direct response television ads. The product is being launched in the Tampa area because Tampa/St. Petersburg is the birthplace of the compound.

Looking to the Future
“We’re very proud of the contributions we’ve made to the progress of medicine over the past 25 years,” added Dr. Tanaka. “But we’re completely focused on the future and the new discoveries that await us. One of the reasons it’s so important to bring ProLigna™ to market is that it will mean additional funding for our research. We strongly believe this compound has other, very significant health-related applications.”

TBRI’s study of pine cone extract will continue as researchers determine its potential.

About the Tampa Bay Research Institute
The Tampa Bay Research Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1981 as Florida’s first independent biomedical research facility. It is housed in 33,000-square-feet of space in Pinellas County. The Institute pioneered the discovery of the relationship between viral infections and cancer, and has trained more than 80 doctoral and post-doctoral scientists. 

About Allera Health Products, Inc.
Allera Health Products, Inc., of St. Petersburg, Fla., is a biotechnology company that develops specialty supplements that enhance the immune system and drugs that help fight illness and disease. The company holds the exclusive license for ProLigna™ the patented compound in ImmunExtraTM, which was developed by the Tampa Bay Research Institute over the course of 15 years of rigorous research. Allera’s products are developed and produced in the United States, in facilities certified by the National Sanitation Foundation. These facilities employ Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure product quality and consistency. For more information, please visit www.immunextra.com.