05.01.03
Horphag Research, Geneva, Switzerland, is a company that acts globally in the research, promotion and sale of Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract. According to Victor Ferrari, chief operating officer and executive vice president, the original company was founded in 1925 in Berlin, Germany, by Charles Haimoff. “After World War II everything was destroyed including the company’s manufacturing plant and laboratories,” he said. “However, the company was still able to move forward because of the value of its brand Okasa.”
Several decades later, Horphag decided to start evaluating a water-soluble flavonoid, Pycnogenol, which would become another highly recognized brand for the company. The fact that Pycnogenol was water-soluble caught the attention of Mr. Haimoff who decided to promote the ingredient in Europe. At the time, Mr. Ferrari said, there was no such thing as food supplements, so the company had to research the product as it would a drug, even though it was a natural substance. “From the beginning, the whole pharmacological profile aspect with regard to safety and efficacy has been elucidated under pharmacological standards, which is something that we take advantage of in today’s marketplace,” he said.
The company eventually started selling Pycnogenol as a food supplement in 1986 when it entered the market in Finland. Eventually, the company brought the product to the U.S. market. “Initially we promoted the product as a strong antioxidant based on a patent. We also used an antioxidant claim, which was not being done at the time,” he said. “Timing is everything. We entered the market right before DSHEA and once the legislation was passed our sales jumped dramatically.” Today, with the help of its North American distributor, Natural Health Science, Hillside, NJ, the company has placed Pycnogenol in over 140 brands in the U.S. supplement market.
On the research front, Pycnogenol has been studied in the areas of circulation, heart health, eye health, PMS, men’s fertility and erectile dysfunction. It is also appreciated in the diabetes field because the condition creates a lot of issues with circulation. According to Mr. Ferrari, all published research on Medline on pine bark extract has been conducted specifically on Pycnogenol. Discussing research further, he said, “We try to do applicable research so that at the end of the day our customers are able to communicate health benefits with their customers.”
Currently Horphag holds four application patents related to Pycnogenol in the areas of free radical scavenging (antioxidant protection), platelet aggregation (plaque formation), erectile dysfunction and endometriosis or PMS. In the area of erectile dysfunction, the company recently launched a new brand called Prelox™, exclusive to Herbalife. The product relates to a specific patent, which describes the use of proanthocyanidins in the area of male erectile dysfunction.
Although Pycnogenol has been recognized as a supplement ingredient for several years, Horphag recently received approval to sell the ingredient for use in foods. Last month, the company was granted generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for Pycnogenol. As a result, the company may now sell the ingredient for use in baked goods, cereals, bars, candy, chewing gum, fats and oils and beverages—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
According to Mr. Ferrari the future for the nutraceuticals industry appears bright. “I think the state of the industry is good,” he said. “I salute a tougher stand with regard to monitoring claims and research on products because it will certainly be good for our reputation.”—R.M.W.
Natural Health Science
225 Long Avenue
Hillside, NJ 07205
Telephone: 877-369-9934
Fax: 973-926-4719
E-mail: pycnogenol@horphag.com
Website: www.pycnogenol.com
Several decades later, Horphag decided to start evaluating a water-soluble flavonoid, Pycnogenol, which would become another highly recognized brand for the company. The fact that Pycnogenol was water-soluble caught the attention of Mr. Haimoff who decided to promote the ingredient in Europe. At the time, Mr. Ferrari said, there was no such thing as food supplements, so the company had to research the product as it would a drug, even though it was a natural substance. “From the beginning, the whole pharmacological profile aspect with regard to safety and efficacy has been elucidated under pharmacological standards, which is something that we take advantage of in today’s marketplace,” he said.
The company eventually started selling Pycnogenol as a food supplement in 1986 when it entered the market in Finland. Eventually, the company brought the product to the U.S. market. “Initially we promoted the product as a strong antioxidant based on a patent. We also used an antioxidant claim, which was not being done at the time,” he said. “Timing is everything. We entered the market right before DSHEA and once the legislation was passed our sales jumped dramatically.” Today, with the help of its North American distributor, Natural Health Science, Hillside, NJ, the company has placed Pycnogenol in over 140 brands in the U.S. supplement market.
On the research front, Pycnogenol has been studied in the areas of circulation, heart health, eye health, PMS, men’s fertility and erectile dysfunction. It is also appreciated in the diabetes field because the condition creates a lot of issues with circulation. According to Mr. Ferrari, all published research on Medline on pine bark extract has been conducted specifically on Pycnogenol. Discussing research further, he said, “We try to do applicable research so that at the end of the day our customers are able to communicate health benefits with their customers.”
Currently Horphag holds four application patents related to Pycnogenol in the areas of free radical scavenging (antioxidant protection), platelet aggregation (plaque formation), erectile dysfunction and endometriosis or PMS. In the area of erectile dysfunction, the company recently launched a new brand called Prelox™, exclusive to Herbalife. The product relates to a specific patent, which describes the use of proanthocyanidins in the area of male erectile dysfunction.
Although Pycnogenol has been recognized as a supplement ingredient for several years, Horphag recently received approval to sell the ingredient for use in foods. Last month, the company was granted generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for Pycnogenol. As a result, the company may now sell the ingredient for use in baked goods, cereals, bars, candy, chewing gum, fats and oils and beverages—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
According to Mr. Ferrari the future for the nutraceuticals industry appears bright. “I think the state of the industry is good,” he said. “I salute a tougher stand with regard to monitoring claims and research on products because it will certainly be good for our reputation.”—R.M.W.
Natural Health Science
225 Long Avenue
Hillside, NJ 07205
Telephone: 877-369-9934
Fax: 973-926-4719
E-mail: pycnogenol@horphag.com
Website: www.pycnogenol.com