Gad M. Gilad is the co-founder and CEO of Gilad&Gilad LLC, a health science company that develops and markets agmatine-based therapeutics. Gilad received his PhD in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University. His research focus is the response of the nervous system to stress, neurotrauma, and neurodegenerative diseases (molecular mechanisms of nerve cell survival and death, and neuroplasticity), and the development of new therapeutics.

His collaboration with Varda H. Gilad while working at several academic centers, including the National Institutes of Health, Weizmann Institute of Science, and Harvard University, resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and several patents. One of their main achievements is the discovery of the neuroprotective and neuro-rescue properties of agmatine and its development as a treatment for neuropathies and other diseases.

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Health E-Insights (HEI): What health issues does G-Agmatine address? Who benefits most?

Gilad: As a health science company founded by me and Varda H. Gilad as a wife-and-husband team of neuroscientists, we focus on innovative nerve health solutions. The company develops and markets the Agmaceuticals line of patented supplement products containing G-agmatine. AgmaSet and AgmaVet for animals, are our first-of-their-kind products, superior to existing modalities for supporting healthy nerve functions. Approximately 30 million people in the U.S. alone cope with challenges to healthy nerve functions suffering from various types of neuropathies. 

The products were developed based on our 1994 discovery of the neuroprotective properties of agmatine, a metabolite of the amino acid arginine, which was substantiated by worldwide scientific research. Human clinical trials have shown the benefits of G-agmatine, Gilad&Gilad’s brand of agmatine, in accelerating neuropathic pain recovery and improving health-related quality of life when coping with various challenges to nerve health (in various types of neuropathies). Recent animal clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of G-agmatine for supporting healthy joint functions and for maintaining stomach tissue integrity in dogs and horses with osteoarthritis-related pain and in preventing (use of) NSAID.

HEI: What does science show about your product?

Gilad: G-agmatine, the active ingredient of our products, exerts its beneficial effects like what I call a molecular shotgun by targeting a broad spectrum of molecular mechanisms, which are essential for healthy nervous system functions and are compromised in all types of neuropathies.

These molecular targets are of specific importance for proper nervous system functions and include (a) modulation of several neurotransmitters’ release- and receptor-binding molecules that transmit nerve signals, notably nicotine, glutamate, and noradrenaline; (b) blockade of membrane channels that transport key ions into cells, notably potassium and calcium; (c) regulation of nitric oxide production, a ubiquitous regulatory molecule; (d) modulation of polyamines metabolism, known neuroprotective molecules; (e) regulation of glucose metabolism; and (f) inhibition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), a process that destroys extracellular proteins.

HEI: How competitive is your product category?

Gilad: Our products, manufactured in the U.S., are first-of-their-kind nutraceutical dietary supplements with superior effectiveness for healthy nerve functions as compared to other modalities. Gilad&Gilad is the only company providing dietary supplements containing G-Agmatine, which has been scientifically and clinically proven to address neuropathies and support healthy nervous system functions.

Other dietary supplements on the market that address nerve health contain primarily B vitamins and antioxidants. Furthermore, unlike prescribed modalities and drugs for neuropathies, G-Agmatine has no side-effects nor does it have addictive properties. There is no evidence that agmatine has any effect on muscle building or exercise performance. Touting agmatine-containing products for bodybuilding is completely unsubstantiated and such claims are outright false and misleading.

HEI: Do you have plans for company expansion?

Gilad: Gilad&Gilad has invested effort and capital on R&D. We presently lack the funds needed for scaling up marketing efforts to build product brand awareness which are required for driving sales volumes to where they should be.

Given that challenges to healthy nerve functions affect almost 1 of every 10 Americans, we believe that partnering with an organization with the necessary resources to fund a marketing and sales campaign designed to educate the public on the benefits of the Agmaceuticals line of products would drive significant sales, capitalizing on the relevant $6.3 billion global neuropathic pain market. Our business goal is to collaborate with a like-minded large company that may acquire the Agmaceuticals product line.

Further growth opportunities: G-Agmatine has great potential to be utilized in the multi-billion-dollar medical food market to address healthy nerve functions. Medical foods are foods that are used under medical supervision and are specially formulated and processed (as opposed to a naturally occurring foodstuff used in a natural state) for a patient who requires use of the product as a major component of a disease or condition’s specific dietary management. Additionally, the company is conducting clinical trials to substantiate the effectiveness of G-Agmatine in new health-related indications. Establishing effectiveness in these indications has the potential to open multi-billion-dollar markets for our products.

HEI: Animal health is another area your company’s products address.

Gilad: A telephone call from a customer jumpstarted this venture. On the other side of the line was a veterinarian who, after introducing himself, said he has been using AgmaSet to treat his own nerve health condition and it was amazingly effective. He wanted to order a few bottles to try their effectiveness for spinal nerve health in dogs and cats with spinal disorders in his clinic.

He is a nationally renowned veterinarian with expertise in integrative medicine, and since then helped spread the news about the effectiveness of our product not only among his pet owner clients, but more broadly in his state and beyond by promoting our product on his weekly radio show. Using the same product for humans and animals became an issue with some customers and as more pet owners began using it, we decided to market the product for animals under a different brand name, hence AgmaVet.

Since then, company-sponsored clinical trials have shown AgmaVet effectiveness in dogs and horses with challenges to healthy joint functions including osteoarthritis-related pain and for maintaining stomach tissue integrity in preventing NSAID-induced gastric ulceration, thus further substantiating the claims and indications of use.

Challenges to healthy nerve and joint functions represent a significant veterinary issue. A large subset of the veterinary pain management market is valued at $1.7 billion according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

HEI: Is there a golden rule you live by?

Gilad: There are a few golden rules I try to live by, alas I find myself wanting. Perhaps “Love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18, the third Book in the Old Testament of the Bible) is one golden rule I try my best to live by. Roughly translated, it’s the principle that one should treat other people in the way one would want to be treated by them. I must thank my wife for helping me, not only for following this golden rule, but also more trivial everyday rules by which one can live a more fulfilling life.

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About the Author: Sheldon Baker is CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.