Clinic La Prairie - Revitalization: CLP Scientific Advisory Board

Eminent researchers serving CLP Extract

From an international institute to a Scientific Advisory Board, for close to a quarter-century, Clinique La Prairie has been conducting fundamental and applied research on its famous CLP Extract.

In 1987, the CLP International Research Institute was created on the initiative of the owner and president of Clinique La Prairie, Armin Mattli, under the aegis of Professor Otto Westphal, who founded of the Max Planck Immunology Institute in Freiburg im Breisgau in the 1950s. This world-renowned German biochemist and immunologist had chosen to retire on the Vaudois Riviera where, by chance, he discovered Clinique La Prairie and met Mr. Mattli, who asked him to conduct a ten-year fundamental research project with a dual goal: to constantly improve CLP Extract itself, and to provide scientific "proof" of the effects that had been empirically described for over 60 years by tens of thousands of patients having benefited from Revitalization treatment at Clinique La Prairie.

Professor Westphal began by gathering together a number of scientist friends, including Professor L. Thomas from New York, Professor B. Cinader from Toronto, Professor G. Munder from Freiburg and Professor E. Rietschel from Borstel near Hamburg, two former colleagues from his Institute.

The Institute, which was then called the CLP International Research Institute, first focused on elementary questions regarding the biological effects that were hoped for and obtained through the injection of a combination of substances taken from ovine fetuses used at Clinique la Prairie until 1980.

Thanks to this new critical and scientific approach, a standardized fetus liver extract was produced and tested in many biological systems in the laboratory, and on live animals.

The CLP Institute then called on a number of groups of researchers to conduct various types of research:

• Professors Munder and Dr Modolell, in Freiburg, conducted many in vitro and in vivo experiments, to demonstrate the product’s tumor-prevention effect;

• Professors E. Sauer and Dr G. Amtmann, in Heidelberg, worked on an aging fibroblast model and established a reinduction of cellular division in 1990-1991;

• Professors Cinader and Dr R. Gorczynski, in Toronto, conducted many experiments on aging mice and observed a rejuvenation of their immune response, allowing them to live much longer;

• Professor H. Isliker, director of ISREC in Lausanne, replaced Professor L. Thomas at the Institute and established a fruitful relationship between the Clinique and Professor J. P. Mach, a biochemist specializing in monoclonal proteins and antibodies. 

Professor Mach then began to systematically fraction the proteins constituting the largest part of the CLP Extract, making it possible to conduct a whole series of biological experiments in various institutes with fractions of CLP Extract, and to detect the most active fractions.

The most active and effective fractions were sent for chemical analysis to Borstel, where Professors V. Zähringer and C. Alexander progressively identified the active ingredients using methods that would be described in detail in a later issue of Inside.

Almost this entire research program was financed by Clinique La Prairie itself, and through a foundation for immunology and aging research, which collected donations, in particular from the pharmaceutical industry.

Today, the CLP International Research Institute has been rechristened the CLP Scientific Advisory Board, with the following members:

• Dr C. Alexander, Research Center, Borstel (Hamburg)
• Prof. R. Gorczynski, Toronto
• Prof. J. P. Mach, Lausanne
• Prof. E. Rietschel, President, Berlin
• Prof. A Terskikh, La Jolla San Diego and Lausanne
• Dr T. Wälli, CLP representative, Clarens

It also depends on the scientific collaboration of the following people:

• Prof. K. Brandenberg, Research Center, Borstel
• Prof. G. Corradin, Lausanne
• Dr S. Folli, Pharmafutura, Sion
• Dr A. Heini, senior physician, Clinique La Prairie
• Dr D. Heumann, Epalinges
• Prof. I. Ulmer, Research Center, Borstel
• Prof. U. Zähringer, Research Center, Borstel

The CLP Scientific Advisory Board meets several times a year to monitor research advancement, to define new strategies and distribute research funds. Additionally, an annual meeting, held in Clarens, brings together all the researchers, who present their work to the entire group and to the board; publications are decided by the group.

Thus, Clinique La Prairie benefits from a scientific advisory board composed of experienced researchers and clinicians, as well as advisers who are among the finest in their fields.