The new agreement, in place since the start of this year, includes distribution of DFK’s calcium panthothenate and pantethine for use in supplements, as well as panthenol for cosmetics applications.
Prior to this agreement, DFK’s ingredients were distributed in North America by Toyota Tsusho.
DFK was acquired in 2007 by Kyowa Hakko Bio, the Japan-based parent company of Kyowa Hakko USA. The firms share common customers in the North American market, prompting the current distribution agreement, which is expected to benefit their sales and marketing strength in the region.
New markets
A spokesperson for Kyowa Hakko USA told NutraIngredients-USA.com last year that while both companies have a broad number of applications for food, supplements and cosmetics, the new agreement could open new markets for both groups.
DFK’s ingedients include:
· D-Calcium Pantothenate, a soruce of vitamin B-5 for use in dietary supplements, food fortification and feed
· Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate, a derivative of vitamin B-6 used in food fortification, beverages and dietary supplements
· Pantethine, derived from vitamin B-5 used in dietary supplements
· Panthenol, a source of vitamin B-5 with cosmetic applications
Manufacturing presence
Kyowa Hakko has manufacturing sites both in the US and Asia, including facilities in Cape Girardeau and Missouri, as well as plants in Japan and China. DFK’s goods are currently manufactured in Japan only.
Kyowa and DFK stressed that as pharmaceutical-based companies, all of their operations contain full quality control laboratories for product testing and a number of strict quality assurance guidelines.