http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2006/12/05/afx3228013.html

ZURICH (AFX) – Galenica Holding AG said it bought UK food supplements producer Equazen Nutraceuticals, effective Dec 1, through its UK subsidiary Potter’s Ltd.

The purchase price was not released.

Equazen had a turnover of about 20 mln sfr in 2005 and makes a number of best-selling food supplements based on fish oil.

The acquisition will help the Bern-based group to significantly expand its brand portfolio in the UK.

Following the transaction, the combined Potter’s and Equazen business will rank among the UK’s 15 largest OTC/healthcare companies, Galenica said.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=72535-equazen-galenica-omega-eye-q

Galenica snaps up UK omega-3 leader Equazen

05/12/2006 – UK omega-3 company Equazen has been purchased by Swiss pharma company Galenica, a move that looks set to take the brand to new heights in the competitive global market – and free up its founder to focus on new research in the field.

Equazen claims much of the credit for the consumer on its home turf in the UK; its eye q supplement brand is the market leader, claiming around 30 per cent of the market. The sale to Galenica, the terms of which have not been disclosed, looks set to propel the brand into new international markets.

According to Euromonitor International, the omega-3 market grew by 243 per cent between 2003 and 2005. The sector has proved energetic at all levels of the supply chain, with a spate of deals between fish oil suppliers, technology providers, and manufacturers.

Much of the buzz has stemmed from scientific research into the benefits of omega-3, and Equazen’s products have been used in some most groundbreaking studies, particularly in the Oxford-Durham study, which concluded that omega-3 can aid children’s behaviour and concentration.

Founded in 1999, Equazen’s 2005 sales ex factory were £8.7m (c €12.9m). As well as eye q for cognitive function, its range is made up of other consumer- and condition-specific products, such as cardiozen for cardiovascular health, mumomega for pregnancy and equavision for eye health.

In a climate where there are clear opportunities to be seized but where the market is becoming increasingly crowded, Equazen considered its options to leverage its success to date for the future.

“As a family-run company we had to look very closely at our ability to hold our position in the UK trade sector and thought it would be wiser to run with a larger group,” founder and CEO Adam Kelliher told NutraIngredients.com.

Galenica, a public listed company with a strong presence in the Swiss health care market, had a 2005 turnover of €1.4bn. It is currently making inroads into the UK OTC sector: with Equazen added to the Potters herbal medicine company it acquired in 2003 it ranks amongst the top 15 OTC healthcare companies in the UK.

Equazen had several approaches, but some were interested solely in the brand and would have shut down operations, which would have meant lack of continuity in staff and standing in the marketplace.

Kelliher described Galenica as “well-resourced, deeply committed to OTC naturals, and a perfect fit for accelerating the growth of Equazen”.

On an international level Equazen has a strong distribution presence in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. But Galenica is present in 90 countries, “so it has a lot of strength in areas we don’t”.

In particular, the transaction gives scope for entry into untouched parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Kelliher will stay on to lead Equazen through a transitional period of at least six month.

But he will still have an ongoing commercial relationship with the company since after this he will shift his attention to Equateq, the company he started in January to focus on research and cutting-edge applications of omega-3.

When Equazen acquired the oil processing plant and research facility in the Outer Hebrides, Equazen was to be Equateq’s main customer, using 60 per cent of the oil produced.

Despite the mounting interest, Kelliher said that the sector is still in its infancy as more research brings to light different applications for human health.

Part of the challenge is commercialising that research: “Research has to have relevance for people buying products,” he said.

One might think the million dollar question is whether you say, or are professionally obliged to say at any point, “there is no good scientific evidence that fish oil pills work” or “The only evidence it works is for kids with ADHD -there is no evidence it does anything for behaviourally normal children”.

Once people start their kids on it, there is a good chance they will convince themselves it works – placebo effect at work. Cue more sales for the FishOil peddlars.

Talking of getting kids to eat oily fish, pity the British manufacturers can’t work out a way to make decent-tasting tinned sardines. The French ones are usually much nicer and hence I would imagine easier to “sell” to children.

I also wonder whether children’s often rather restricted tastes (i.e. not wanting to eat oliy fish) reflects the boring / flavourless sugar-loaded food they typically get given post-weaning? I have been amazed how enthusiastic our 2-yr old is about things I would never have expected, like “smelly fish” (sardines), garlic, strong pickled onions, etc. Keeping our fingers crossed that this taste range lives on into her school years..

I say that if they want to try fish oil supplements, to make sure they are not too high in vitamin A, purified to remove harmful pollutants (as most brands are anyway), to check with their doctor if they have epilepsy or clotting problems and to stop them well in advanced of any planned surgery due to the possible reduced blood clotting effect.

I then say to start them when there are not other big changes in their lifestyle, and to review whether they think they have had any effect (on their child’s behaviour/concentration/school performance) after a few months. In my experience, some parents don’t see any improvement, and some are convinced they do. Many aren’t sure and continue giving them to their children just in case.

My job working with children overlaps with aspects of counselling, social work, education, management, strategic planning, resource development, marketting, speech therapy, psychology, etc etc. I see children at home who are terminally ill and need to be tube-fed, children with special needs in schools, and all range of nutritional problems in clinics – from allergies, malnutrition, obesity, liver and kidney diseases and various rare metabolic. I’ve also been involved in research and innovative nutritional treatments. Outside the NHS there are lots of opportunites to work in industry, with supermarkets or weight-management firms, food manufacturers, media, sports or malnutrition overseas, to name a few.

Being a dietitian is not for everyone though, and hopefully the title nutritionist will be a protected by law like dietitian is. Legitimate nutritionists have a recognised degree in nutrition and can do much of the work i described above that dietitians do out of the NHS – particularly public health policy planning and research. Nutritionists also work for the NHS often alongside dietitians and sometimes giving advice – but on non-clinical stuff – for example on weight management, weaning babies, healthy eating. The nutrition society lists legitimate nutrition degree courses.

I’d be wary of any courses in nutritional therapy if you want to be viewed with any credibility.

Sorry to go on, but i love my job, and really value the legitimate nutritionists i work with!!

A rather general theme that has emerged in many pieces of nutrition-related medical research is that eating a range of foods rich in things that are generally good for you (aka “a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh produce”) has health benefits, while chomping SUPPLEMENTS containing the “magic things that ought to protect you from X Y or Z” is ineffective.

As a consequence I have rarely (if ever) never met a doctor or scientist who is a believer in paying Boots for dietary supplements. Most favour fresh fruit and veg and sardines.

Note that as well as being better supported by the evidence this option is probably cheaper , and certainly a great deal more enjoyable.

*This links in with the use of Evening Primrose Oil that has been criticised by many as having no basis. The alleged basis is that the body may require higher levels of n6-PUFA as found in EPO to form series 1/ series 2 prostaglandins. As the intake of n6 PUFAs already far exceeds that of n3 PUFAs, I would be astonished if increased intake of n6 PUFAs benefitted health in any way. High levels of n6 PUFAs have been ‘associated’ with conditions that are exacerbated by inflammation – cancer, arthritis etc… Increasing ones intake of n6 PUFAs by taking EPO supplements would seem to me to be unwise. Fish such as sardines contain a mixture of mono- and poly- unsaturated fatty acids and as such would presumably provide the body with whichever fatty acids were required. Natural versus man-made: I know what my money is on. We’re back therefore to general, basic (and very un-sexy) messages about eating sensible, balanced diets. I think the posts on this page have made my mind up. I’m changing sides – screw the nutritionists and vive le common sense.

“ALL ABOUT OMEGA-3
—————————

Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids have properties that promote healthy brain development and decrease inflammation in the body. In addition, studies have shown a link between omega-3 fatty acids and good heart health.

Increasing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet on a regular basis may:

__Decrease risk of sudden cardiac death __Lower triglyceride levels __Decrease growth of plaque on artery walls __Prevent irregular heartbeat __Prevent excessive blood clots from forming __Lower blood pressure

To read more about omega-3 foods and why they’re good for you click the link below or copy & paste into your browser:

http://www.bupa-php.co.uk/redirect.asp?p=ar&c=104&v=113810&ck=bupawell&cp=bupawell
”

The bit about ‘promote healthy brain development’ isn’t repeated in the second list of benefits which ‘may’ happen. I guess if you take Omega-3 you ‘may’ win the lottery too…

Sigh

Ken