Finally, Soda in the Lemon-Limelight

WASHINGTONLately, it seems like every day brings more bad news for carbonated soft drinks. But a new study puts one popular soda in the limelight (or the lemon-limelight to be more specific) for improving the effectiveness of an oral anticancer drug.

The study, published in the American Chemical Societys journal, Molecular Pharmaceutics, notes that, in clinical trials with an artificial stomach, degassed Sprite improved absorption of the drug. 

When the unnamed drug, referred to as Compound X for the clinical trials, was given to patients, there were wide differences in how the drug was absorbed, due to variations in stomach acidity and other factors. The researchers then combined Compound X with Captisol, a substance that helps improve the solubility of drug ingredients, as well as Sprite, to help improve solubility of the drugs ingredients, then tested it with an artificial stomach.

They found that the combination increased duodenal concentrations, as well as the difference between duodenal concentrations for different gastric pH. Based on these results, the researchers are suggesting that patients in future clinical trials for Compound X take the drug with Sprite.