Pharmavite sharpens women’s health focus with Uqora acquisition

09 Jul 2021 --- US-based supplement specialist Pharmavite has acquired urinary health brand Uqora in efforts to expand the “underserved” women’s health market. The acquisition will grow the reach of Uqora’s urinary tract infection (UTI) supplement range and play a central role in Pharmavite’s long-term strategy, says the company.

Speaking to NutritionInsight, Pharmavite CEO Jeff Boutelle says the decision to buy Uqora came largely through the companies’ similarities. 

“There are clear synergies between the Uqora and Pharmavite portfolio of brands. Marrying science with consumer needs is at the heart of what we do at Pharmavite, and it is at the heart of what Uqora does as well.” 

“The overlap between our potential consumers, direct to consumer (D2C) strength and retail reach will drive sales of both brands.”

Founded in 2017, Uqora offers a range of supplements for promoting urinary health and treating UTI symptoms. The company has experienced triple-digit growth since launching. 

Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. 

Since launching in 2017, Uqora has seen triple-digit growth for its UTI products.The problem with UTIs
UTIs are the most common bacterial infection requiring medical care in the US, and the second most common infection behind the common cold, explains Pharmavite. 

According to the Urology Care Foundation, UTIs also disproportionately impact women – between 50-60 percent have at least one UTI in their life with a 20-40 percent chance of UTI recurrence.

“It is our mission to break that cycle,” Uqora CEO and co-founder Jenna Ryan tells NutritionInsight. 

Current treatments rely heavily on antibiotics, while a growing number of UTIs are becoming resistant, she explains. Uqora was established when Ryan became stuck in a cycle of UTIs with no effective, long-term option for relief. She then decided to focus on developing methods of support for the issue. 

Uqora’s urinary solutions 
Uqora offers three proactive supplements: 

• Target: Contains ingredients such as magnesium and calcium for alkalizing urine, making it less acidic, harnessing the power of d-mannose (a sugar monomer important for metabolism). Target also lends immune support and increases urinary flow with a gentle diuretic.
• Control: Contains black pepper powder, d-mannose, curcumin, vitamin D3 and green tea extract. Research shows Control’s ability to cleanse biofilm, a tool bacteria use in the urinary tract, and strengthen the bladder wall.
• Promote: A specialized vaginal probiotic that contains the three strains of lactobacilli shown to maintain the good bacteria that balance the vaginal microbiome. 

Uqora also offers medical devices under the product names Clarify (an at-home UTI testing kit), Combat (to slow the infection until treatment) and Soothe (for UTI pain relief). 

Ryan says the company’s solutions can play an important role in aiding traditional treatment methods and helping more women.  Uqora co-founders Jenna Ryan and Spencer Gordon.

“We have a great growth opportunity here. To date, we have helped more than 150,000 women with our D2C method of sales. Our opportunity to grow and scale our business is tremendous, and that is what is so exciting about our alignment with Pharmavite.” 

Pharmavite’s access to retailers like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and others will give Uqora “unprecedented reach” for its products. 

Women’s health market 
Pharmavite, which owns the Nature Made range of vitamin supplements, also produces the menopause product Equelle. Boutelle says the acquisition of Uqora marks an important step in Pharmavite’s long-term goal of expanding the women’s healthcare market – something still constrained by prejudice. 

“I think gender inequality in healthcare can be largely blamed on historical, societal norms,” he comments. “Women’s health issues were not openly talked about and typically swept under the rug, even now in 2021. I’m passionate about working to address these gender disparities by furthering our commitment to innovation in the women’s health market.” 

“By having these important conversations, bringing these impactful products to more people who need them and dedicating funding and research to creating even more effective UTI care, we hope to further visibility and impact in this segment.”

This year, Chr. Hansen spoke with NutritionInsight about how women’s health is one of the fastest-growing spaces in the probiotics market, despite still being “overlooked” due to generations of people feeling such health issues need to be “hidden away.”

By Louis Gore-Langton