Provexis plc has entered a development agreement with DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ, to develop a new ingredient based on DSM-owned intellectual property. Provexis will develop the naturally-derived casein, progress through clinical trials and gain the necessary regulatory approvals. The partners will identify the most appropriate commercialization arrangements before the product is launched.

This marks a second collaboration for the two companies, after Provexis’ proprietary heart health technology Fruitflow was licensed to DSM in 2010. The acquisition serves to strengthen Provexis’ pipeline of technologies for the functional and medical foods sectors, which now includes a plantain-derived extract for the treatment of Crohn’s disease and work on an ingredient derived from cruciferous vegetables for cardiovascular inflammation. This latter research is being conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, U.K.

“People are starting to look for effective and convenient ways to manage their blood glucose levels,” said Stephen Moon, CEO, Provexis plc. “This intellectual property will allow us to develop an ingredient backed by rigorous scientific investigation that will respond effectively to the growing demands of a flourishing market.”