Application

An elemental dietary supplement for treating autism, apraxia and malabsorption syndrome to reverse and avoid nutritional deficiencies.

Key Benefits

• Provides a complete elemental dietary supplement with the proper dosage of nutrients for children with the syndrome of allergy, apraxia, and malabsorption.
• Potential treatment for neuro & motor function, speech and behavior symptoms in a subgroup of children with autism.

Market Summary

Verbal apraxia is a neurologically based motor planning speech disorder common in autism spectrum disorders. Approximately half of children with autism spectrum disorders have some degree of apraxia though not all apraxic children are autistic. Research conducted by Dr. Morris has linked the malabsorption of nutrients to their neurological symptoms. The inventor has coined the name “syndrome of allergy, apraxia, malabsorption” to identify this subgroup. Current nutritional supplements address deficiencies to reduce symptoms associated with this syndrome, but there is no ideal supplement or formula that targets these children’s unique nutritional requirements to improve their neurological performances.

Technical Summary

Emory inventor, Dr. Claudia Morris, identified small intestinal lymphangiectasia may be a cause of the malabsorption in allergy, apraxia, malabsorption patients. Intestinal lymphangiectasia is characterized by obstruction of lymph drainage from the small intestine and lacteal dilation, resulting in malabsorption and the net loss of proteins. The current invention is a nutritional supplement to target children with intestinal lymphangiectasia and other causes of malabsorption, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), that may be impacting a subgroup of children with autism and apraxia. This formulation includes medium chain triglycerides as the key addition ingredient, which is taken up through the portal circulation instead of the lymphatic system. In addition, the formulation includes essential polyunsaturated fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins together with other key nutrients, thereby alleviating deficiencies associated with fat absorption in people with intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Development Stage

Supplement is being developed.