Wednesday November 29, 8:35 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Forbes Develops 'Designer Oil' Which Lowers Cholesterol And May Prevent Weight Gain
VANCOUVER, B.C.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 29, 2000--Forbes Medi-Tech (NASDAQ:FMTI - news; TSE:FMI. - news)

Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. (TSE:FMI. - news; NASDAQ:FMTI - news) announced its research team has developed a ``designer oil'' which reduces LDL (``bad'') blood cholesterol levels in humans and increases energy expenditure, which may prevent people from gaining weight.

In a study conducted at McGill University in Montreal between October 1999 and May 2000, 17 healthy, normolipidemic, and overweight women were served meals either containing Forbes' ``designer oil'' or regular oils in a randomized, crossover trial for a period of 28 days. Study participants' blood cholesterol levels were checked on day two and 28 of the study. Participants who consumed meals containing the ``designer oil'' showed an impressive reduction in their LDL cholesterol by 14.5 per cent as compared to subjects consuming regular oils in their diet.

``Generally, when someone consumes fat in their diet, their triglyceride level increases,'' said Dr. Peter Jones, Professor, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, and the principal researcher of the ``designer oil'' study. ``Remarkably, the level of triglycerides remained constant among subjects on the 'designer oil' diet providing an additional benefit of this product.''

Energy expenditure, or calories burned, by the subjects was also measured on day two and day 27 of the dietary cycle.

``The study also showed that consumption of Forbes' 'designer oil' resulted in increased energy expenditure by the women, which means excess calories were being burned,'' noted Dr. Jerzy Zawistowski, Vice President, Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Forbes Medi-Tech. ``This indicates that replacing fat with this 'designer oil' in human diet may also help to maintain body weight.''

The ``designer oil'' developed by Forbes incorporates its phytosterol-based functional food ingredient Phytrol(TM) into oil using proprietary technologies which preserve the clarity of the oil. (Phytosterols are lipid-like compounds found in plants, which have been clinically proven to reduce cholesterol levels). The ``designer oil'' formulation has also been tested for oxidation at both ambient and high temperatures and shows excellent stability.

``This product offers wide potential applications such as salad dressing and cooking oil as well as a potential to replace fat in various food products,'' said Zawistowski. A large body of scientific evidence has shown that a diet high in fat is associated with an increased incidence of obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, certain cancers and gallbladder disease.

Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. is dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of innovative nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products derived from nature. By extracting plant sterols from pulping by-products, Forbes is developing cholesterol-lowering agents to be used both as functional food ingredients and pharmaceutical therapeutics in the battle against heart disease. Forbes is also developing innovative fermentation technology that converts plant sterols into pharmaceutical fine chemicals, essential in the production of various pharmaceutical steroids such as contraceptive agents and anti-inflammatories. Phytrol(TM) and CardioRex(TM) are trademarks of Forbes Medi-Tech Inc.

The Nasdaq National Market and the Toronto Stock Exchange have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this News Release. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, such as ``may,'' ``will,'' ``expect,'' ``anticipate,'' ``estimate,'' ``predict,'' ``plans'' or ``continue'' or the negative thereof or any other variations thereon or comparable terminology referring to future events or results. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, including the risk of technical obsolescence, intellectual property risks, marketing/manufacturing and partnership/strategic alliance risks, any of which could cause actual results to vary materially from current results or the Company's anticipated future results. See the Company's reports filed with the Toronto Stock Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time for cautionary statements identifying important factors with respect to such forward-looking statements, including certain risks and uncertainties, that could cause actual results to differ materially from results referred to in forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001129/forbes_med.html