Aker BioMarine joins science agreement to expand krill for brain health research

03 May 2023 --- Norway-based Aker BioMarine has signed an agreement with Dr. David Silver – an expert in biochemistry and lipid metabolism – to expand the research of krill for brain health with its dietary supplement Lysoveta and to bring it to the public. 

Lysoveta comes from krill and contains Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a molecule containing both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are both essential for human health as they regulate inflammatory processes and supports organs and cells, such as the eyes and brain.

“Currently, our focus is on Lysoveta, a dietary supplement based on the culmination of years of scientific research demonstrating that specific LPC lipids are essential for human brain development and function as well as the health of multiple organ systems,” Line Johnsen, SVP Science & Regulatory Affairs, Aker BioMarine, tells NutritionInsight. 

“We will continue exploring various formats and potential second-generation products,” she adds.

“The potential for Lysoveta to improve human health is great and I look forward to working with Aker BioMarine toward bringing this important innovation to the public,” says Dr. David Silver, professor and deputy director in the Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders at the Duke-NUS Medical School.

EPA and DHA have to be part of a specific molecular structure to be recognized by a transporter in the blood-brain-barrier.Moving away from tradition
Johnsen further details that the traditional omega 3 products that have been tested in brain health studies have typically been in either a triglyceride form or as ethyl esters. 

“The active molecule in Lysoveta has a different molecular structure called LPC. This molecule also contains both EPA and DHA, which is important for brain development, neuroprotection and regulation of inflammation. In addition, it also consists of choline – a precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine,” highlights Johnsen.

“The blood-brain barrier strictly controls what enters the brain. The mechanism of how EPA and DHA enter the brain wasn’t really understood before a major breakthrough in 2014 when a transporter in the blood-brain-barrier – Mfsd2a – was identified,” she adds. 

Johnsen argues that for EPA and DHA to be recognized by this transporter, they had to be part of the specific molecular structure lysophosphatidylcholine – the active compound in Lysoveta. 

Krill for brain healthThe partnership aims to explore how to make LPC-bound EPA and DHA from krill the “go-to solution for brain health.”
Johnsen further details Aker BioMarine and Dr. Silver are establishing an extensive pipeline to elaborate on the efficacy and indications for Lysoveta. 

“Dr. Silver is a world-renowned expert in LPC lipids and well-known in the science community for his discovery of the MFSD2a-LPC pathway at the blood-brain barrier. Therefore he is the perfect person for this new scientific advisory role,” adds Johnsen.

She explains that the partnership aims to explore how to make LPC-bound EPA and DHA the “go-to solution for brain health” while uncovering commercial opportunities to make this innovation available to the public and uncover new science.

Recently, Aker BioMarine’s Superba 2 and Superba Boost became the first raw krill oil ingredients to receive IKOS certification. The program is a third-party testing and certification program exclusively for krill oils. The company commented on the certification as an additional layer of transparency to its supply chain. 

Last year, the company also unveiled its new technology to reduce its carbon footprint while utilizing krill.

By Beatrice Wihlander