FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IN THE VALLEY? FIRM TOUTS 'AGE-MANAGEMENT' COMPOUND.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

ENCINO - The name Nathan Sassover might not sound familiar, but he invented the first remote-controlled security system for the automobile three decades ago.

The patent number for the device is prominently played in the third paragraph of his bio. He's also an accomplished pianist, who studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a co-author of ``The Human Life Book - A Lucid Guide to Conscious Living in the New Millennium.''

Now, he aspires to become a present-day Ponce de Leon, creating a compound that supposedly helps manage the effects of aging.

He recently opened a clinic in Encino called IntraTherapies, where participants in his AlphaProgram pay $100 to determine eligibility, $150 for a medical exam and $395 for two months' worth of an ``age-management compound.''

The compound is a mixture of procaine, which is commonly known as Novocain, and selegiline, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Manufactured by a pharmacy in Torrance, the compound is administered via a white powder that dissolves when placed under the tongue.

Slightly sour to the taste, the compound, Sassover believes, enhances concentration, reduces fatigue, improves sexual function, in addition to several other life-altering benefits.

``I've been taking the compound for eight years, and I can keep up with anyone in their 20s,'' said Sassover, whose sonorous voice is equally as intriguing as his healthful glow.

Dr. Michael Hirt, who runs The Center for Integrative Medicine in Tarzana, isn't convinced that IntraTherapies' discovery is groundbreaking by any means. He said procaine is an old story and that it's never been shown to have any great success in clinical trials.

``We do use it as an injection to treat pain, of course,'' Hirt said. ``But, if Ponce de Leon stumbled upon this fountain, he would have just kept walking.''

When Dr. Kimberly Yeager first heard about Sassover's compound, she was dubious about its prospects. So, she did some research, tapping her expertise as a medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1989 to 1996.

``I was looking to build a foundation that would really withstand the criticism of my colleagues,'' she said.

Convinced of the compound's efficacy, Yeager is now the medical director of Healthmedica, a company formed to manage IntraTherapies' physicians. She has also been taking the compound for almost six months and ``I've noticed an improvement in my sleeping patterns. I now fall asleep right away and do not wake up feeling fatigued,'' she said.

But Yeager is very cautious when she speaks about the AlphaProgram and its prospects. Instead of touting the compound's ability to reverse the effects of aging, Yeager describes the substance as ``a product that helps people manage the effects of age.''

The compound itself has not been approved by the FDA, and the AlphaProgram's patent is still pending. IntraTherapies avoids any regulatory issues as the compound's primary ingredients are already approved by the FDA.

``We are just using them in an off-label'' capacity, Yeager said.

IntraTherapies is attempting to drive demand for its compound through an aggressive marketing and public relations campaign. The company has created a DVD filled with positive testimonials about the product. And while Yeager said she and her colleagues are still attempting to determine the compound's dosing duration, nothing has been written about the product in major medical journals.

``I'm very open to things that can enhance the quality of one's life,'' Yeager said. ``Sometimes when we quickly turn away from something that's really unusual we lose opportunities.''

Evan Pondel, [phone]

evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Nathan Sassover, shown in his Encino clinic, says his compound enhances concentration, reduces fatigue and improves sexual function, in addition to several other benefits.

(2) Kimberly Yeager is medical director of Healthmedica, a company formed to manage IntraTherapies' physicians. She says the compound has improved her sleep patterns.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer