 |
 |
|
|
An Icelandic cod enzyme might be the cure for bird flu, a
recent
experiment, which the Icelandic company Ensímtaekni hf. took
part in,
indicates. In five minutes, the isolated fish enzyme killed 99 percent
of H5N1 viruses.
The killer enzyme, called penzim, was
extracted from the intestines of cod by Ensímtaekni and is
currently
being developed for beauty products and various types of medicine. The
experiment on the H5N1 virus was conducted in London.
Fréttabladid
reports.
CEO of Ensímtaekni and biochemist Jón Bragi Bjarnason
said he is very excited about the results of the bird flu experiment.
“People have feared that the bird flu virus will change into a
human
flu virus and now we have a likely cure in case that happens,”
Bjarnason told Fréttabladid. Bjarnason also believes that penzim
might
prove a cure for common flu and cold, eczema in children and arthritis.
Icelandic company Ensímtaekni ehf., which is experimenting with
penzim,
a natural enzyme extracted from cod, has signed a contract with five
foreign companies.
Jón Bragi Bjarnason, managing director of
Ensímtaekni and professor in biochemistry at the University of
Iceland,
told Fréttabladid that a Swedish company is interested in using
the
penzim-enzyme for cough tablets and two American companies, one
Japanese and one Greek to use it for beauty products.
Bjarnason
said penzim can be used for many health and beauty products – it
is an
enzyme that speeds up the body’s natural ability to nourish and
moisturize the skin – that are likely to have a turnover of ISK
three
to four billion (EUR 33 to 43 million, USD 43 to 57 million) after five
years.
The next step is to found a pharmaceutical company,
Bjarnason said, to research the qualities of penzim further. His goal
is to create medicine to cure eczema in children and virus infections. |
|
|
 |
|
