CPHI 2024: Pharma industry explores opportunities in nutraceuticals

Pharma companies increasingly add nutraceutical products and product lines to their portfolios as these booming sectors offer faster and cheaper product development options with lower regulatory standards than drugs. We discussed these developments at the recent CPHI trade show in Milan, Italy, with Sirio Pharma, ADM and Beneo.

Sara Lesina, general manager of Sirio Europe and Americas, tells Nutrition Insight that pharmaceutical companies are equipped to meet the regulatory standards in nutraceuticals as they are used to a higher quality level for pharma-grade products. 

Sirio Pharma initially served the pharmaceutical industry and has maintained the protocols, quality standpoint, certifications, quality assessment and quality control labs and manufacturing processes from that industry. “The fact that we are Good Manufacturing Practices certified brings a different level of credibility and advantages.” 

“We’re having conversations with over-the-counter medication brands and decided to have line extensions under the same umbrella,” Lesina continues. “They will be clear that it’s a nutraceutical, not a medical device or OTC, but carry the power of that brand, which is recognized and loved by consumers.” 

“Then you’ll have a supplement, which you can take to support something you may already take. For example, you can take something with a medical device for a sore throat, but then you can take something as a supplement.” 

Enriching pharma portfolio

Marie-Bénédicte Charpentier, marketing director in Health & Wellness at ADM, also recognizes that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly focusing on non-prescription products, such as supplements, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbs and standardized botanicals. 

“This is a big trend,” she highlights. “Women’s health is driving the trend on the one hand, and probiotics and microbiome solutions are on the other; that’s something they want to develop.” 

ADM has a pharmaceutical branch, offering specialty oils and carbohydrate solutions, from excipients to active pharmaceutical ingredients, to pharmaceutical companies. 

ADM presented its range of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical solutions and functional ingredients at CPHI.“The bridge we make is that we open the door with their development department to help them enrich their portfolio and develop other products by incorporating our functional ingredients, like biotics, isoflavones or vitamin B, or our excipients already available in pharma grade.” 

In addition, Charpentier notes that ADM also sells food-grade products to the pharma industry, such as mint and other ingredients in its flavor department. 

Driving nutraceutical demand

Charpentier says that women’s health is one of the key drivers for pharmaceutical companies expanding their nutraceutical or functional food offerings. She explains that this is due to companies recognizing women’s purchasing power and the growing awareness of specific health issues for women, such as menopause symptoms or menstruation pains. 

“Now, many companies say they want to have a full range for women, starting with something dedicated to vaginal health, for young women, something dedicated to women in the maternity period, for those who are breastfeeding, and for women with body composition issues. Also, as the menopause period can last ten years, women need support.” 

At the same time, she highlights that over 70% of consumers connect gut health to overall health and well-being, driving a demand for probiotics. 

“Scientific evidence shows a link between gut health and mood, menopause, digestion and skin health. This is proven with scientific clinical trials — probiotics can do the job, and I think doctors increasingly favor that.”

Consumers also seek solutions with fewer side effects and increasingly turn to food supplements, highlights Charpentier. 

Sara Lesina, general manager of Sirio Europe and Americas.She cautions that compliance is a challenge in food supplements, as unlike medications, “there won’t be an immediate effect.” Consumers may need to take some supplements for a month to start seeing benefits. 

ADM develops food supplements that make it easier for consumers to take them for longer. “For example, our FastMelt sticks, which have a nice taste and are easy to have in your bag, or the gummies with some functionalities,” illustrates Charpentier. 

In addition, the company created a powder sachet with five grams of its Fibersol prebiotic fibers that can be mixed into yogurt, drinks or hot beverages, making it very flexible for consumers. 

HeartClear softgels

In addition to a new GummiBiotic range launched at CPHI, Sirio Pharma also introduced HeartClear soft gels, created with a patented Plantegrity vegan enteric shell. The products are available in fish oil or algae oil versions.

“The technology has been around for a while, but it’s not widespread, particularly on the soft gel side,” details Lesina. “The soft gel shell itself is enteric — there is no coating. It’s a targeted delivery, meaning it won’t dissolve in the stomach but in the intestines.” 

She adds that the technology can be applied in many formulations for different reasons, such as protecting the stomach or enabling a time-release ingredient in the bloodstream. Plus, she underscores that the intestine has better absorption than the stomach. 

Beneo’s GalenIQ can improve the palatability of active ingredients or plant extracts in supplements and pharmaceuticals.The HeartClear softgel offers consumers benefits when taking omega-3 supplements. “Sometimes, when you take omega-3, due to the taste and smell, you may have some reflux effect. If you put it in an enteric formulation, you can ensure it’s not digested in the stomach to avoid an unpleasant taste or smell.”

“We believe it’s the first vegan, non-coated enteric soft gel,” Lesina continues. “It is a Gellan gum-based version; it’s quite glossy and transparent while typically enteric softgels would be a bit opaque, and it has a good swallowability.” 

Plant-based excipients for nutra and pharma

Beneo featured its excipient GalenIQ at CPHI. This water-soluble filler-binder “makes medicines and nutraceuticals taste better,” says Michael Black, the company’s head of sales in pharma. The product can be used in both nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. 

Black sees a strong interest in plant extract for nutraceuticals due to their active ingredient properties. He expects this interest to continue. 

“Usually, these extracts are difficult to compress into tablets because they are soft. They don’t have the right compression characteristics. Mixing them with GalenIQ will bring advantages to manufacturers.” 

“Plant extracts generally have poor tastes,” he adds. “By mixing them with a GalenIQ, you get a better taste profile, making it taste better.” 

At the same time, Black notes a demand for plant-based excipients. “Our GalenIQ isomalt is made from sugar from sugar beet — a renewable plant source — so our product fits this trend well.” 

“We also see trends regarding using less excipients to get clean labels. By using GalenIQ, we also have the advantage of reducing the total number of excipients in a formulation.”