ENI (Ethical Naturals Inc.) licenses new patented method to manufacture vegetable-source glucosamine
GreenGrown glucosamine’s new fermentation process provides quality and market advantage compared with fungal biomass products
ENI (Ethical Naturals Inc.) has signed a license agreement with ALS (Arkion Life Sciences) for the patents that employ a microbial fermentation process to produce N-acetyl glucosamine and glucosamine.
This license agreement gives ENI the legal right to make, sell, import and export the patent-protected glucosamine wherever ALS has issued patents and patent applications. The resulting USP-grade, GMO-free, vegetable-source glucosamine will be marketed under ENI’s GreenGrown Glucosamine brand.
For supplement manufacturers eager to grow market share among the rapidly growing vegetarian and vegan market or for those prone to allergies, this new high-quality, vegetable-source glucosamine option promises a market advantage.
Until now, the supplement industry has had one option when it comes to non-animal glucosamine: material manufactured by the conversion of chitin in fungal biomass through a process patented by Cargill. The most commonly used glucosamine today is shellfish-derived, and this material does present several shortcomings, including raw material pollution and unwelcome allergic side-effects that require label warnings.
This is the second intellectual property win for ENI in respect to glucosamine: in 2011 the company received a patent for its method of identifying the unique markers that differentiate between shellfish- and vegetable-based glucosamine. This is a critical step in validating the supply chain and ensuring the accurate labelling of finished products, because according to FDA DSHEA and Dietary Supplement Labeling Guidelines, shellfish-derived glucosamine carries an allergy warning.
ENI CEO Cal Bewicke said: 'The new license agreement means that GreenGrown Glucosamine products are now protected by two patents that cover both quality assurance (identity testing) and manufacturing (the fermentation process). These two patents put us in a strong position, where our customers get verified vegetable source material and will be protected from any potential patent infringement.'
'In a field crowded with hundreds of joint care products, GreenGrown Glucosamine, used as a standalone or combined with other ingredients such as Opti-MSM, provides a real value-added opportunity,' added Bewicke.
To learn more about GreenGrown Glucosamine and other ENI products, visit booth 2970 at SuppySide West (7–8 October) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, or click here.