CNS' new FiberChoice product, FiberChoice Weight Management chewable tablets, will include 200 mcg of chromium, along with 4g of fiber and green tea.
According to Nutrition 21 president and CEO Gail Montgomery, the collaboration with CNS is a direct result of the scientific evidence that the company has amassed to support the safety and efficacy of its chromium picolinate ingredient for use in weight loss, diabetes care and in sports nutrition.
Nutrition 21 has also recently signed an agreement with Dong Sung Pharmaceuticals to distribute Chromax and Diachrome (a patented combination of Chromax and biotin) as finished consumer products to the Korean healthcare market.
On US soil, Chromax has already been used in several niche consumer products from manufacturers including Pepsi and Pharmavite, and the company said it is in discussions with other companies "for use in more prominent and broadly marketed brands."
The company announced a strategy to position Chromax as a food and beverage additive in May. Previously it had been used in dietary supplements, despite having been affirmed as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) in June 2002.
The US market for chromium picolinate, in which Nutrition 21 is the leader, was given a boost in August when the FDA approved a qualified health claim recognizing that chromium picolinate is a safe nutritional supplement that may reduce the risk of insulin resistance and possibly type 2 diabetes.
Montgomery said that this approval should facilitate medical acceptance of products.
For its first fiscal quarter ended September 30, Nutrition 21 reported an impressive 33 per cent increase in sales compared to the prior year period, to $3.55 million. Operating loss also improved significantly, from -$1.22 to -$0.765 million.
"The FDA ruling and our ongoing progress in establishing new distribution channels are important factors which should contribute to increased sales and improved gross profit margins as we move forward," said Montgomery.