Ajinomoto claims to be a leader in the global market for amino acids for health uses. Although the company has its own US division, under the terms of the agreement its products will be represented and distributed to selected customers in the nutrition industry by Pharmachem.
The partnership is expected to prove a driver for new applications of amino acids, thanks to Pharmachem's processing capabilities and distribution channels.
It will also enable the launch of Ajinomoto's long-awaited soluble branched-chain amino acid solution.
Jack Heaton, president of Ajinomoto Aminoscience, said that the company had been seeking a partner to help it diversify its services.
Dick Beitel, Pharmachem's VP sales, said: "We look forward to expanding the amino acid with our value added expertise".
In a report on the US amino acids market published last year, Frost and Sullivan said that research and technological advances such as microencapsulation technology are expanding the application base for amino acids.
"Amino acids are now widely used in clinical nutrition, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The use of amino acids in pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications is evincing strong interest and this is expected to be one of the fastest growing application sectors in this market," it said.