New MenaQ7 patents granted to NattoPharma in US, Israel and Australia

08 Nov 2017 --- NattoPharma ASA has successfully secured patents in Israel, the US and Australia for its “nature-identical synthesis” creating MenaQ7 PharmaPure Vitamin K2 as MK-7, adding further to the company’s patent portfolio.

“These patents underline our position as the leader in the vitamin K2 market,” Kjetil Ramsøy, NattoPharma Chief Financial Officer, tells NutritionInsight. “Having the most clinically validated vitamin K2 as MK-7 available today, and the only all-trans nature-identical synthetic available that is free of cis-isomers, this will give our partners the validation they need to ensure they are serving their customers the best possible product.”

Global success with patents
NattoPharma details the company’s progress with patents:

• Israel: On July 31, 2017, patent #238199 “Process for preparation of MK-7 type of Vitamin K2” was granted.
• US: On August 28, 2017, Notice of Allowance for patent #14/435,260 “Process for preparation of MK-7 type vitamin K2” was issued.
• Australia: On July 5, 2017, Notice of Acceptance (NoA) was issued for patent #2013330517 “process for preparation of MK-7 type of vitamin K2.” This NoA was published on July 20.

“This unique patented process results in the world’s only truly all-trans synthetic vitamin K2 as MK-7,” says William Sommer, NattoPharma’s Vice President of Global Development & Regulatory. “Our material is of the highest quality and superior to anything else on the market, so much so that it is currently being utilized in two studies sponsored by the traditional medical community.”

“These studies are evidence that the medical community recognizes the difference a vitamin can make for human health, and in selecting MenaQ7 PharmaPure, they want to use the purest, all-trans material for future further confirmation and discovery of health benefits,” he continues. “This technology also ensures supplement providers deliver the MK-7 with the health benefits consumers desire.”

Sommer adds that NattoPharma has made significant intellectual and monetary investments technologies in, and that the company is committed to actively monitor market developments to protect the company’s intellectual property rights throughout their lifespan.

“The approval of these patents represents another milestone for NattoPharma and our partners,” concludes Sommer. “This further strengthens NattoPharma’s global intellectual property rights platform and improves our competitive position within the food supplement market.”

“We see a very positive development in the interest in vitamin K2, which is also supported by our global growth over the last couple of years,” Ramsøy notes to NutritionInsight. “We expect this to continue in the coming years as the knowledge about the benefits of Vitamin K2 grows even more in the consumer market.”

There are also plans to obtain patents for MenaQ7 in further countries. “Patents are currently pending in a number of different jurisdictions, both for the synthetic production patent for PharmaPure, as well as for different health claims related to the use of vitamin K2 as a dietary supplement,” Ramsøy explains.

By Paul Creasy