The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) a trade association representing natural products and dietary supplement companies, honored the late Muhammed Majeed, Phd, as well as his son, Shaheen Majeed, both of the Sami-Sabinsa Group, at its member meeting during SupplySide West.
 
Muhammed Majeed posthumously received the UNPA Lifetime Achievement Award in Science & Innovation. Shaheen Majeed received the Excellence in Leadership Award.
 
Muhammed Majeed, founder and chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group, passed away on March 13. He was born in 1948 and grew up in Kollam in Kerali, India, and was one of six children. He earned an undergraduate degree in pharmacy from the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College in 1973 and worked as a teacher prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 1975.
 
He worked in a pharmacy while pursuing a master’s degree in industrial pharmacy from Long Island University, and went on to earn a doctorate in industrial pharmacy from St. John’s University in 1986. His early experience in pharmaceuticals included roles at Pfizer, Carter Wallace, and Paco Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey, where he was head of research.
 
He started Sabinsa Corporation in New Jersey in 1988, originally to make generic drugs. Majeed saw the potential in India’s Ayurvedic medicine and anticipated a market opportunity for traditional Ayurveda in the U.S. backed by modern science.
 
Majeed established Sami Labs Limited, a research and manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India, which is now a division of Sami-Sabinsa Group. Sami operates 11 manufacturing facilities and employs more than 1,400 people, including over 120 senior scientists. The company commercially markets over 120 standardized botanical extracts in 17 countries, many of which are patented. During his lifetime, Dr. Majeed was granted more than 500 U.s. and international patents.
 
Muhammed Majeed contributed to more than 200 peer-reviewed research papers and four book chapters in leading scientific journals. He also authored and co-authored 15 books on the history and benefits of numerous herbal extracts.
 
Shaheen Majeed is the global CEO and managing director of the Sami-Sabinsa Group, where he has spent 25 years in leadership roles. Throughout his tenure, he has held diverse roles in sales, supply chain management, manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and global marketing. During his four-year term as president worldwide, his innovative global strategies expanded the company’s reach across multiple continents.
 
His achievements include ensuring the company’s adherence to cGMP and regulatory standards, guiding numerous clinical studies to publication, and launching category-leading products, UNPA noted. His emphasis on education opportunities delving into the clinical studies supporting Sabinsa’s portfolio included renewing the multi-day Sabinsa on Wheels conference and launching the more streamlined Sabinsa Knowledge Day, both global educational platforms that foster direct engagement with formulators and marketers.
 
Shaheen Majeed holds 62 U.S. and international patents, and has authored 31 peer-reviewed publications. His status as an industry thought leader is demonstrate by dozens of speaking engagements and hundreds of trade publication interviews.
 
“UNPA is privileged to honor both the late Dr. Muhammed Majeed and Shaheen Majeed. Dr. Majeed was a visionary scientist and entrepreneur who pioneered the introduction of Ayurvedic herbal extracts to global markets, blending ancient wisdom with scientific rigor. As founder of the Sami-Sabinsa Group, he created a leading multinational health and life sciences company committed to quality, sustainability, and community impact,” said Loren Israelsen, founder and president of UNPA. “Known for his extensive contributions to nutraceutical research, patented innovations, and philanthropic work, Dr. Majeed’s legacy stands as a profound influence on both the industry and countless lives worldwide.”
 
“For more than 25 years, Shaheen has been a respected business leader and community builder,” Israelsen continued. “Together with his father, Dr. Muhammed Majeed, and outstanding research capabilities of Sabinsa, Shaheen was a pioneer in bringing the highest quality Indian botanical ingredients to the U.S. and global markets. What distinguishes Shaheen is his remarkable ability to bring people together, build lasting friendships, and a natural gift of leadership that has lifted the industry. In his new role as global CEO and managing director of Sabinsa, he will carry on the work of his father, together with his sister, Dr. Anju Majeed, to take Sabinsa to new heights of growth through research and quality.”