PharmaLinea launches preventative eye health supplements as pandemic boosts demand

31 May 2021 --- PharmaLinea is unveiling a line of preventative eye health supplements in consumer-friendly formats. The move comes as the pandemic has increased screen time and contributed to rising eye health-related concerns. NutritionInsight speaks with PharmaLinea experts who discuss the potential of this rising market.

“The two new additions to PharmaLinea’s line of private label eye health supplements are >Your< Vision Orosticks and >Your< Vision Liquid Sticks,” says Matevž Ambrožič, marketing & PR director for the company.

The line now has two new product forms for further differentiation: sticks with orodispersible powder and sticks with liquid. 

These and other latest innovations from PharmaLinea’s development team will be revealed at a virtual launch event on June 9. 

The products will be available for launch by brand owners in markets globally. The targeted demographics range from children to adults, with >Your< Vision Liquid Sticks catering to children and >Your< Vision Orosticks to adult users.

“>Your< Vision Line is a line of clinically supported preventive eye health products. It has been awarded for taste, and it is proven to be successful in various markets,” says Ambrožič.

Matevž Ambrožič, marketing & PR director for PharmaLinea.Carotenoids and zeaxanthin
The entire line is based on the best available source of highly sought-after carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, according to Maja Orešnik, science & research director for PharmaLinea. 

“It contains a patented ingredient with leading levels of zeaxanthin, a technology for enhanced bioavailability, with gold-standard clinical trials proving its efficacy.”

Delivered with PharmaLinea’s proprietary liquid product matrix technology, the products are designed to provide several benefits for eye health:

• Increased macular pigment optical density.
• Protection against oxidative stress.
• Visual performance improvements, such as photo stress recovery and disability glare.

Boosted by the pandemic
Since the start of the pandemic, eye health concerns have been exhibiting unprecedented rise, says Ambrožič.

“Screen time has increased dramatically with consumers using smartphones and other electronic devices more often throughout the day. Eye and vision issues show the highest increase of all health concerns in 2021 and this presents a global market opportunity,” he adds.

“There is also evidence of growing awareness of blue light and lutein, dissatisfaction with current solutions and an outstanding amount of data showcasing the opportunity for new preventive solutions.”

>Your< Vision is a line of clinically supported preventative eye health products that have been awarded for taste, the company says.

Application satisfaction
The current market is still dominated by pill forms such as tablets, capsules and soft gels according to Ambrožič. 

“While there are health areas where these more traditional formats are a completely valid choice, they might not be the most successful in the preventive eye health space,” he says.

This is because when it comes to preventive products, there is no acute motivation for taking the supplements and the user experience (taste and delivery form) needs to do what it can to increase compliance.

Moreover, the elderly population is an important demographic and pill fatigue is a pressing issue when addressing them. To achieve market differentiation, new forms of supplements and delivery formats need to be considered, as the prevalence of pill forms in eye health means this market is saturated.

“This is why our line of eye health products is one of the most diverse and advanced when it comes to product forms, he adds.

Maja Orešnik, science & research director for PharmaLinea. Suitable for all age groupsOrešnik stresses that addressing eye health is relevant for all age groups. While serious conditions usually emerge with increasing age, extended screen time, together with the lack of green leafy vegetables in the diet, often lead to suboptimal development of the eye structures in children. Such concerns can be addressed through supplementation.

The main ingredients for the supplements, lutein and zeaxanthin, are known for their specific accumulation in the macular retina, where they can provide protection against oxidative stress. 

“Ensuring sufficient macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is thus primarily a preventive function. However, further research has revealed that increase in MPOD leads to visual performance improvements of certain existing conditions, such as photo stress recovery and disability glare,” she highlights.

More market opportunities
Speaking on other health concerns boosted by the pandemic, Ambrožič also notes that the more obvious areas also boosted by COVID-19 are immunity, sleep, and stress. 

“However, with our new launches, we also look beyond the more recent trends to health areas with more long-term growth.”

“Here, we identified cardiovascular supplements as a large and steadily growing segment that is not yet well addressed when it comes to clinically supported products, fit for promotion through medical detailing.” 

Thus, on June 9, the company will also be revealing >Your< Cardiovascular Capsules. 

These are clinically supported to promote cardiovascular health through several well-defined mechanisms:

• Lipid level balance.
• Correct platelet aggregation process.
• Healthy endothelial function.
• Blood sugar balance.

The product is formulated to become the go-to solution for doctors treating patients at risk of developing cardiovascular complications, Ambrožič concludes.

By Kristiana Lalou