New Zealand's biggest company, the dairy foods processor Fonterra,
is backing a medical consortium to develop milk-based "bioactives",
in the aim of gaining a share in the global functional foods
market, reported the...
Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceuticals group, has reported a 20 per
cent rise in first-quarter profits, exceeding analysts' forecasts,
however this was largely a result of strong growth in
pharmaceuticals and US business, while...
Lipitor, the cholesterol-cutter which is said to be the
biggest-selling pharmaceutical product in the world, helped boost
first quarter sales at Pfizer.
Italian pharmaceutical group Sigma-Tau has created a new US
subsidiary, Sigma-Tau US, which will group together its three
separate North American businesses for the first time.
First quarter sales at pharmaceutical giant Roche were up 5 per
cent in Swiss franc terms to SFr7.4 billion (€5m), with good
performances from the group's other divisions more than offsetting
a decline at the vitamins arm.
In what it is calling a victory for consumer protection, the US
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has forced Utah-based company
Biogenics to agree to stop making products containing drugs but
sold as dietary supplements.
Danish food and ingredients group Danisco has launched a new enzyme
product derived from seaweed which it claims will help it extend
its position as the world's leading producer of functional food
ingredients.
Millennium Biotechnologies has launched its Resurgex nutritional
supplement via the Medicaid system in the US state of Nevada, the
first time the product has been made available on prescription in
that state.
The UK Soil Association, the organic assessment and promotion
organisation, is to introduce an organic standard for health and
beauty products from 1 May.
A new product designed to help strengthen joints has been launched
by the UK group Vitabiotics. Jointace Fizz is an extension of the
company's existing Jointace brand, and is an advanced new
effervescent formula providing high...
The Arizona Heart Institute (AHI) is to prescribe the Vital Living
Cardiovascular Nutraceutical following a successful three-year
trial of the product.
Herbalife, the weight management and nutritional supplement
company, is to be bought by two private equity firms, Whitney &
Co and Golden Gate Capital, for around $685 million (€773.6m). The
current Herbalife management will continue...
MAF BioNutritionals, a nutraceutical manufacturer founded by Dr
Phil Maffetone, an internationally-recognised expert on nutrition,
complementary medicine and human biology, has acquired the Boulder
Bar brand for an undisclosed sum,...
Two US companies, RFI and Hauser, have joined forces to supply
dietary supplement and functional food ingredients to the
nutraceuticals industry, combining the functional food expertise of
RFI with Hauser's knowledge of the supplements...
Sentex Systems, the Canadian agrifood group, has announced its
intention to buy compatriot Natunola Health, a company which
develops natural health products from flaxseed and other products.
Australian research company Prana Biotechnology has revealed
successful interim results of its Alzheimer's drug PBT-1,
Iodochlorhydroxyquin at the 7th International Geneva/Springfield
Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy...
The market for functional foods is being driven by a greater
responsibility for personal health care amongst Europeans,
according to a new report by market research company, Mintel.The
research shows that the European functional foods...
A French-Canadian pharmaceutical group is to expand its European
operations via the acquisition of the French company Laboratoire du
Lacteol du Docteur Boucard, its second European investment.
A report by the UK Consumers' Association claims that consumers are
increasingly buying organic food because they believe it is better
for them - a preconception which is often far from the truth.
Naturade, a producer of soy protein products designed to boost
heart health, saw sales grow by 9 per cent in 2001, following a
strong performance from the Total Soy brand.
There are many ways for consumers to increase their intake of
calcium, a mineral known to help strengthen bone structure and aid
weight loss. But a recent analysis shows that milk, a natural
source of calcium, remains the most cost...
A charge of $20 million (€22.8m) related to the write-down of
goodwill following the acquisition of Prolab Nutrition pushed
nutritional supplement manufacturer Natrol further into the red in
the fourth quarter of 2001.
Nutraceutix, the pharmaceutical group which recently signed a
licensing agreement with the giant agrifood group ADM, has reported
disappointing results for the final quarter of 2001.
Natrol, the US supplement manufacturer, has added the Vitamin Angel
Alliance, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting child
malnutrition around the world, to its Care for Kids initiative.
Chinese farmers are likely to increase organic output in a bid to
find lucrative new export markets, reports the China Daily.
Increasingly high non-tariff barriers by importing countries have
made it hard for China to export many...
Forbes Medi-Tech remains bullish about its prospects for the future
despite the failure of the Novartis-Quaker Oats joint venture which
was meant to promote a range of foods containing Reducol, the
cholesterol-cutting ingredient developed...
The Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) yesterday
announced that the country's organic farmers would benefit from a
grant of £100,000 over two years from Scottish Enterprise. The
money will be used for a number of projects,...
Martek Biosciences Corporation is to buy docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
producer OmegaTech, giving it a further foothold in the growing
market for fortified foods. Martek said it would become the world
leader in fermentation-derived DHA...
Omega Protein Corporation, the leading producer of Omega-3 fish oil
and specialty fish meal products in the US, has reported net
profits of $3.9 million (€4.5m) for 2001, a welcome return to the
black after losses of $16.7 million...
Cadbury Schweppes, the British confectionery and drinks producer
which owns Dr Pepper and Snapple, has added another US drink brand
to its portfolio via the acquisition of Nantucket Allserve from
Ocean Spray Cranberries and a group...
Some sectors of the Scandinavian organic food industry are
approaching maturity, but the organic fresh fruit market continues
to show robust growth, according to a new report from Organic
Monitor. Total sales of organic fruit have...
Health Sciences Group, the Los Angeles-based group which
specialises in investing in companies involved in the health
sector, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets and
operations of Quality Botanical ingredients (QBI),...
Nutra Pharma of the US says it expects to see the first four wound
healing applications of its proprietary herbal extract compound
WD-667 hit the market in the next two months.
Advicor, the cholesterol control product from Kos Pharmaceuticals,
has been found to be highly effective in controlling the full range
of lipids when compared to two other leading statin products,
according to a new study presented...
Forbes Medi-Tech has said it will not exercise its right to buy
back the licensing and distribution rights to Reducol, the
cholesterol-lowering ingredient from Novartis.
Most Americans consume only half of the 25-35g recommended daily
allowance (RDA) of dietary fibre, according to recent statistics
from the American Diabetic Association. Benefiber, a new
easy-to-swallow product from Novartis Consumer...
Reliv International returned to profitability in 2001, despite a
decline in overall sales, as restructuring measures announced a
year earlier began to take effect.
Relora, a natural ingredient produced by Next Pharmaceuticals, has
been shown clinically to significantly alter the hormone levels
associated with stress-induced obesity, the company claims.
Pain Therapeutics, a US-based medical research company, is to
develop two new opioid painkillers, OxyTrex and MorViva, both of
which it claims do not lead to the tolerance and dependance
associated with other opioid painkillers.
Spectrum Organic Products, a US organic ingredients manufacturer,
has reported a net operating cash flow of $705,000 (€798,000) for
the fourth quarter of 2001, compared to a negative EBITDA of
$108,000 for the previous year.
German chemicals group BASF said it performed well last year and is
confident of further growth in 2002 despite difficult trading
conditions. All of the company's divisions performed well, despite
high raw material prices and...
