Lowering barriers to clinical evidence, and new formulations for weight management and beauty from within make this edition of Supplement Shorts. Check out the supplement industry news, from scientific innovations to finished products and everything in between.
Alethios makes clinical trials more accessible for start-ups
Alethios, a contract research organization specializing in decentralized clinical trials and utilizing AI in study design, announced the launch of its Early-Stage Program. This initiative seeks to provide start-ups and emerging brands with greater access to clinical trials.
“There are so many promising health interventions that go untested simply because the infrastructure wasn’t accessible,” said Zeenia Framroze, Alethios CEO.
She hopes that the early start program will help companies generate clinical evidence of claims early on to facilitate innovation in the health and wellness market. She also hopes the program will encourage more research on women and underrepresented populations.
“Many groups have been excluded from clinical trials — sometimes by design, sometimes by oversight,” she said. “As a decentralized platform, we hope Alethios makes it easier to include all types of participants.”
She also notes that inclusivity is important not just in participants but for the research itself.
“Many researchers and founders from marginalized backgrounds face a higher burden of proof when bringing forward new ideas, especially in areas like women’s health that have been chronically underfunded and undervalued. We want to enable those investigators to run rigorous trials on questions that matter to their communities,” Framroze said.
Framroze and Zoe Benham, business operations lead for Alethios, shared that the applications received thus far have been diverse, with a great deal of interest in longevity and peptides among other functional ingredients.
“Women’s health is a clear area of momentum — which is exactly what we hoped for,” Benham said.
European brand Hifas da Terra introduced its mushroom-based dietary supplement line to the United States. Photo Credit: Hifas da Terra.
Dietary supplement finished product news
European mushroom supplement brand Hifas da Terra launched its products in the United States, adding to the boom of mushroom-based dietary supplements on the market. The brand touts clinical substantiation and traceability as key differentiators for its products.
“My work is grounded in a simple belief: Nature already holds many of the answers to the health challenges of the modern world,” said Catalina Fernández de Ana Portela, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Hifas da Terra.
“By combining nature’s intelligence, particularly the power of medicinal fungi, with scientific rigor, we created safe, effective and sustainable mushroom supplements that address specific need states, strengthen the body’s natural defenses and genuinely improve quality of life,” Fernández said.
Finished product brand PureHealth Research launched its Natural GLP-1 Support collection to support weight management and metabolic health. The star product of the collection, GLP ON, contains familiar weight management ingredients like berberine and Akkermansia muciniphila along with extracts from green coffee, cayenne pepper and African mango, as well as Eriomin citrus flavonoids (sold by ingredient supplier Ingredients by Nature).
TopGum launched a new line of nutricosmetic gummy formulations to support beauty from within. Photo Credit: TopGum.
Company and organization updates
Israeli gummy supplement manufacturer TopGum created a new line of nutricosmetic products to support hair, skin and nail health. The formulations feature active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and collagen peptides along with vitamins and minerals known to support beauty from within.
“We’ve reimagined what a gummy can do,” said Jennifer Toomey, head of new product development for TopGum USA. “Our proprietary technologies solve the toughest challenges in beauty from within supplementation, delivering efficacious doses of actives in a clean-label, naturally flavored gummy.
Canadian omega-3 ingredient supplier Mara Renewables announced a decision by the United Kingdom Court of Appeals to conclude a patent case in its favor, ending a patent disagreement with ingredient company DSM-Firmenich.
“Consumers benefit from having access to a broad range of great-tasting, high-quality precision fermentation-derived omega-3 solutions,” said Harry Boot, Mara CEO. “With this decision from the UK courts, we are now even more confident about Mara’s future.”
Investment firms Yukon Partners and Riverside Company partnered to invest in Western Botanicals, a dietary supplement contract manufacturer headquartered in Utah.
“We strive to partner with industry-leading nutraceutical brands through unmatched service, transparency and quality,” said Don Shaver, Western Botanicals CEO. “Our partnership with Riverside will allow us to continue this mission through organic growth while simultaneously executing (a merger and acquisition) strategy to build best-in-class capabilities.”
Launching innovative ingredients and products? Did you just publish a new clinical trial? Getting ready to announce something big? SupplySide Supplement Journal would love to know. Reach out on LinkedIn or by email with all your buzzworthy news.
