Elixir of youth? Mikra Cellular Sciences nabs US$8.5M to launch cell-targeting supplement

09 Mar 2022 --- Lifeist Wellness has given its subsidiary, Mikra Cellular Sciences, a US$8.5 million endowment to develop its anti-aging Cellf dietary supplement. The product’s nutrients are marketed as maintaining good health in consumers by positively impacting the cellular system to combat systemic fatigue. 

The product, which recently went on pre-sale, is promoted as having the capacity to “positively impact the cellular system” and “can effectively turn on and off (upregulate/downregulate) certain genetic pathways within cells.”

The nutrient combination is intended for users over the age of 30 who wish to stave off the physical and cognitive effects of aging, including inflammation and brain fog. Cellf reports a waiting list of more than 40,000 consumers.

Faraaz Jamal, founder and CEO of Mikra Cellular Sciences, tells NutritionInsight: “Cellf is designed as a preventative supplement for those who want to maximize the number of years they feel healthy and like their best self.” He refers to this as the “healthspan” of consumers. 

Cellf comes in sachets containing a mix of beneficial nutrients.R&D investments
A very significant portion of the funding will go to R&D. “We’re currently targeting over 50% of the funding to R&D, which includes our molecular and cellular clinical trials as well as human studies.” 

Preliminary results from Cellf’s genomics and transcriptomics clinical trials will be available in Q3 2022, with final results ready in Q4 2022.

Following the release of these results, Mikra Cellular Sciences plans to develop a human study, “which will be designed with tight parameters including duration and sample size.” 

Jamal says further details on this will be available following the completion of cellular studies with biotechnology company InVivo Biosystems.

Mikra’s marketing strategy
Jamal explains that publishing research helps Mikra Cellular Sciences spread its message.

“Publishing this research/open-sourcing will be part of our marketing efforts – we want everyone to benefit from our learnings: the good and the bad. We could call amplification of our results ‘content marketing,’ but I prefer to refer to it as open-sourcing the preventative health data.”

He believes research is a more economically sustainable strategy compared to spending millions on traditional advertisements.

“The traction may be slower, but the results will be longer-lasting. It’s the only way to facilitate a paradigm shift in how we look at nutraceuticals.”

Jamal says Mikra Cellular Sciences has plans for greater transparency. “We’re looking to release a transparent supply chain mapping – akin to blockchain – so users, other nutraceutical companies and curious minds can track their products.”

To help spread Mikra Cellular Sciences’ research, the company is turning to social media.

“We’ll be bringing this awareness across our social channels and email lists – speaking about why multi-omics data is essential and why the precision medicine era is so exciting.”

What is Cellf?
Consumers can purchase a one-time pack of 30, or opt for monthly subscriptions.Cellf is said to promote healthy aging by supporting the creation of mitochondria, increasing mitochondrial efficiency and helping to remove older, less functional cells. The patented delivery mechanism utilizes a transferrin glycoprotein to increase cellular absorption of Cellf’s bioactive compounds.

According to Jamal: “Cellf has a two-stage delivery mechanism, which is an iron-binding glycoprotein-liposomal matrix that ensures safe passage through the gastric environment and then mediated delivery into your cells.”

He states that Cellf is designed to influence certain genetic pathways to make consumers more resilient to oxidative stress, and that it is the first supplement of its kind to undergo a genomics and transcriptomics clinical trial. 

Mikra Cellular Solutions currently has a patent pending for Cellf’s mechanism of action as well as the supplement’s formulation, which includes the antioxidants glutathione, coenzyme Q10 and pyrroloquinoline quinone as well as lactoferrin, which a recent investigation found may have potential as an “anti-COVID” supplement.

Other ingredients include vitamin E, MCT oil, glycerin, phosphatidylcholine, orange oil, cinnamon oil, natural clove oil, vanilla bean extract and natural almond butter.

By Olivia Nelson