Weekly Roundup: Enzybel Pharma partners with Terhormon on pancreatin, Nuritas forms scientific advisory board

12 Oct 2018 --- Enzybel Pharma has partnered with Terhormon to “take the lead” on the pancreatin market, while Fermentalg has signed new agreements with the SUEZ group for the development of its algal biofilter. Valensa has adopted saw palmetto through the American Botanical Council’s (ABC) Adopt-an-Herb botanical education program, and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has requested that pullulan be allowed in dietary supplements labeled as organic. VitaMK7, the fermented vitamin K2 as MK7, can offer more than four years of extended stability at room temperature. Research has identified benefits Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex and BioPerine Combination can bring to diabetics. Nuritas has appointed four key additions to its newly formed scientific advisory board.

In brief: Partnerships, expansions and mergers
Enzybel Pharma, a division of Enzybel Group, is partnering with Terhormon, a biological producer of pancreatin enzymes, to take the lead on the “out of nature” pancreatin market. The move will facilitate Enzybel to move from its position as pancreatin trader to industrial producer which can master the process from raw material to formulation, according to Christian Van Osselaer, CEO of Enzybel. The move also increases the R&D resources for Terhormon, allowing it to increase both its quantities and reach.

Microalgae company Fermentalg has signed new agreements with the SUEZ group for the development of its algal biofilter. The agreements include an eight-year partnership deal and a three-year marketing agreement. In 2015, the two combined forces to exploit the ability of microalgae to capture C02 and other particles around industrial sites, which was then used to generate renewable energy. Fermentalg uses its microalgal knowledge for the selection of the microalgae at the heart of the algal biofilter, while SUEZ works to integrate these systems into urban areas and a global wastewater treatment cycle. Three pilot programs in France are currently underway. 

In brief: Product launches and certifications
 Valensa has adopted saw palmetto through the American Botanical Council’s (ABC) Adopt-an-Herb botanical education program. Valensa’s adoption supports ABC’s HerbMedPro database, which aims to be an essential educational resource for researchers, health professionals, industry members, students and consumers. HerbMedPro is an interactive online database that provides access to scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of more than 250 herbs, spices and medicinal plants.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has requested to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) that pullulan be allowed in dietary supplement products labeled as organic. AHPA's comments support a petition submitted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) requesting that pullulan be added to the National List, which identifies a limited number of non-organic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products.

VitaMK7, the fermented vitamin K2 as MK7, can offer more than four years of extended stability at room temperature, according to Gnosis-Bio, due to its high purity profile. The product also demonstrates good stability after a short-light exposure, supporting the statement that “the more the product is pure, the more it is stable.” According to Gnosis-Bio, as a rule, synthetic vitamin K2 show high levels of impurities and – as a consequence – the lowest purity profiles that cannot support the same long periods of shelf-life of vitaMK7.

In brief: Research studies
Two recent studies have highlighted how Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex and BioPerine Combination may have a positive impact on people with Type 2 diabetes. When used in the trial, the diabetic subjects treated with C3 Complex/BioPerine combination showed improved glycemic parameters, a slight increase in levels of C-peptide which is an indication of insulin production, as well as an increase in the values of anti-inflammatory adiponectin, an adipokine connected with glucose maintenance and insulin sensitivity.

In brief: Miscellaneous
Biotechnology company Nuritas, which aims to discover drugs through AI based on peptide discovery, has formed a scientific advisory board (SAB) with four key appointments. The first, Justin Siegel, Ph.D., is a Professor at the Genome Center at University of California; the second, David Chernoff, M.D., is the Chief Medical Officer at SetPoint Medical; the third, J Bruce German, Ph.D., is a Food Science and Technology Director at the Foods for Health Institute at the University of California and Luke O’Neill, Ph.D., is the Chair of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin. The formation of the SAB aims to strengthen Nuritas’ discovery of peptide-based therapies with increased speed and accuracy.

By Laxmi Haigh