DKSH, which claims to be the ‘number 1 market expansion services provider with a focus on Asia’, said the agreement will also help it to support Enzymotec to expand their food supplement business in the near future to other territories.
The new agreement, which continues “the very successful partnership for distribution of Enzymotec’s phosphor lipid based APIs and excipients”, said DKSH, and the distribution will be led by DKSH’s Business Unit Performance Materials.
Montreal’s Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. said Monday it is moving into the pharmaceutical market with the launch of subsidiary Acasti Pharma Inc.’s Onemia at the Cardiometabolic Health Congress in Boston.
Onemia is a marine-based medical food, approced by regulators for the management of cardiometabolic disorders. It can be taken alone or in combination with prescribed heart drugs. It will be manufactured by Neptune and distributed through doctors initially under subcontract. Acasti is seeking partners to commercialize the product outside the United States.
Neptune Technologies & Bioressources (Nasdaq:NEPT) (TSX-V:NTB) announced Wednesday that Health Canada has approved therapeutic claims for Neptune Krill Oil (NKO), proving that the supplement is in fact safe and effective on certain diseases.
“Health claims are becoming among the most important drivers influencing the purchasing of Omega-3 supplements worldwide,” said CFO Andre Godin.
If this is indeed true, then NKO supplements will see a jump in sales, as evidence reviewed by Health Canada has led to the approval of the product for a number of health claims including cardiovascular health, inflammation and women’s health.
It was shown that NKO, in conjunction with other therapy, helps reduce the levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and increase the levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol, as well as helps reduce the levels of triglycerides in the body, with between only 2-4 softgels per day.
The supplement also demonstrated that it helps reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis and relieves pre-menstrual symptoms.
The Health Canada review process is considered one of the most rigorous in the world, as it involves an extensive assessment of the accuracy, validity and evidence supporting the proposed health claims.
In June last year, Health Canada approved health claims for omega-3, among which was the claim that products providing 3-10g of fish oil per day, or 6-20 softgels help to reduce serum triglycerides, compared to 4 NKO softgels recently approved for the same indication.
Krill oil manufacturer Azantis Inc. in Boulder as teamed with Ceutical Switzerland AG to launch a water soluble krill oil that can be mixed with other water- based supplements, foods and drinks.
The omega-3 rich liquid krill oil, including the krill phospholipids, could be mixed with acai, noni, and other health juices and vitamin waters. The water soluble liquid krill oil is available to supplement resellers and formulators for single shot vitamin blends.
The specifications of the product are tailored to the needs of supplement formulators and resellers, and to food and drink manufacturers.
Collaboration on research between krill player Aker BioMarine and Norwegian food supplement manufacturer Sana Pharma could boost efforts to achieve positive opinions on health claims from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The deal between the two companies has resulted in the addition of Aker’s SuperBa omega-3 krill oil to an existing range of Sana Pharma’s food supplements – VitaePro, which also includes ingredients such as astaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and Vitamins C, D and E.
The reformulated product has already been debuted in northern European countries.
Aker BioMarine Antarctic US Inc. added two new staff members who will concentrate on the North American market. Eric Anderson was named vice president of sales and marketing and Todd Norton was appointed to vice president of new business development.
Anderson was formally Brands Manger at PL Thomas, and Norton was chief operating officer at AM Todd Botanicals. Anderson and Norton are tasked with the responsibility to educate the natural products industry and consumers on the unique health benefits of krill and Aker’s unique Eco-Harvesting™ practices.
Newly formed Trygg Pharma – a joint venture between krill player Aker BioMarine and New York-based private investment firm Lindsay Goldberg – has agreed to pay NOK 561 million (€71.2 million) for the Epax shares. Trygg will also assume the net interest bearing debt of Epax, which was NOK 314 million (€39.8 million) as of 31 December 2009.
The transaction – subject to the customary closing conditions – is expected to close in the final quarter of 2010, said the companies.
Neptune Technologies & Bioressources has recorded continued profits in its first quarter, which the firm says is partly a result of a more widespread recognition of krill oil in the nutraceutical industry.
The Canadian firm reported a 45 percent increase in revenue for the three months ended May 31, 2010 compared to the same period last year. This boosted revenue to $4.2m for the period.
According to the company, the improved results were largely due to an investment in the firm’s manufacturing plant last year, which boosted production performance. However, the results also reflect an increased uptake of krill oil as a source of omega-3.
Enzymotec has announced that its leading product, Krill Oil +, has now obtained a Novel Food status in Europe for its Krill Product line , including the Pure Krill oil grade.
Recently the company announced the expansion of its product line into a greater variety of Krill-based combination products, including Krill-based variety of grades, Krill/PS combos and more.
“Enzymotec supports Krill sustainability and an eco-friendly supply chain aimed to maintain the conservation of marine living resources by sourcing its Krill biomass only from CCAMLR Member monitored vessels and facilities. Says Mrs. Neta Scheinman Enzymotec’s Director of QA. “We are inspecting and verifying that each Krill shipment is harvested within the limits of the zone and dates for which the specific fishing vessels had received it’s fishing license from CCALMR”, concludes Mrs. Scheinman.
Aker BioMarine has today received confirmation that its krill fisheries will be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an independent, global, non-profit organization that works to promote the best choices in sustainable seafood.
In future purchases of Aker BioMarine’s Superba(tm) and Qrill(tm) products, consumers can be assured that their Omega-3 rich krill products are harvested in an environmentally sustainable way.
MSC’s fishery certification program contributes to the health of the world’s oceans by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood and working with partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis. The MSC certification is a visible demonstration of Aker BioMarine’s long term commitment to the environment.
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