Herbamed enters Eastern US & Canada with CoQ10-team up
The DVA agreement for the Eastern US and Canada follows a similar deal with Salt Lake City’s New Products Plus (NPP), which was recently announced as the exclusive agent for the CoQ10 ingredient in the Western US.
“Ultrasome CoQ10 is highly synergistic to our product portfolio,” said Christian Torske, President of DVA America. “Adding a product with strong clinical support and intellectual property helps us provide a full product-offering to our customers. We are excited about the opportunity of Ultrasome CoQ10 to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.”
Herbamed’s CoQ10 ingredient is available as a stable powder that can be easily used in capsules and tablets. The Ultrasome ingredient is a liposomal-like formulation: CoQ10 is combined with a dual-layer of phospholipids to create a small droplet (liposome), said the company, which protects and delivers the CoQ10 more effectively to the gastrointestinal tract.
“We’re happy to team up with a strong, multinational company like DVA to bring Ultrasome CoQ10 to this vital market,” said David Hart, business development and marketing manager at Herbamed. “This agreement is an important part of our intensive effort to market Ultrasome CoQ10 globally.”
CoQ10 benefits
CoQ10 – or coenzyme Q10 plays a vital role in the production of chemical energy in mitochondria – the 'power plants' of the cell – by participating in the production of adenosince triphosphate (ATP), the body's co-called 'energy currency'.
It has been studied for its role in cognitive health, heart health, and anti-aging (in oral and topical formulations). It has also been shown to benefit those suffering from angina, heart attack and hypertension.
Its use in the US, particularly in supplements, has been boosted by the rise in popularity of statin drugs which deplete the body's natural stores of CoQ10.
Following the NPP announcement, Hart told NutraIngredients-USA that the Ultrasome ingredient is initially positioned towards dietary supplements, but if "the response in the supplement market is positive, we would likely seek GRAS affirmation" for its patented ingredient.
"Herbamed has developed similar products that are specifically designed for the beverage industry with our SME (Sub Micron Emulsion) technology. We are investigating the ramifications/necessity of GRAS affirmation for our products," he added.
The Ultrasome ingredient is supported by four clinical trials, said the company, which have indicated increases in bioavailability of between three and ten-fold, depending on the age of the subjects – elderly people are known to have difficulties in absorbing CoQ10.
