Nestlé Health Science invests in global strategic partnership with Amazentis to develop its new cellular nutrient Urolithin A

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Apr 02, 2019, 08:00 ET

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., April 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestlé Health Science today announced that it has entered into a global strategic partnership with Amazentis, a Swiss-based pioneer in science-driven nutritional health.

This partnership supports Nestlé's pursuit of growth opportunities both in consumer healthcare and medical nutrition. Nestlé Health Science will take an equity stake in Amazentis and receive global rights to use Amazentis' patented Urolithin A technology for dietary supplements, select foods and beverages, and medical nutrition products. Amazentis retains co-exclusive rights for the online distribution of dietary supplements and select food products as well as global exclusive rights for distribution of certain other defined categories. Nestlé Health Science and Amazentis will also conduct a joint research program to expand applications of Urolithin A into new consumer health and medical benefit areas.

Urolithin A is a bioactive dietary metabolite that is naturally produced when eating certain foods, such as the pomegranate, though it is difficult for most people to get enough of this specialized nutrient from food alone. Urolithin A is the first natural bioactive to improve mitochondrial function by activating mitophagy, a process by which aging and damaged mitochondria are cleared from the cell. Optimal mitochondrial function is central to cell metabolism and overall health. This is part of a new class of nutrients, called cellular nutrients, which go beyond traditional macro and micronutrients and are clinically proven to improve cellular health.

The science behind Urolithin A has been published in Nature Medicine and a Phase 1 clinical study was successfully completed, demonstrating a beneficial impact on biomarkers of mitochondrial health in plasma and in skeletal muscle tissue. Two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trials are being conducted to quantify the impact of Urolithin A on muscle health and function as well as other parameters. Urolithin A also has a strong safety profile as recognized by its recent, successful GRAS (generally recognized as safe) filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Greg Behar, CEO of Nestlé Health Science, stated: "Advancing cellular nutrition is a key component of our strategy to bring new benefits to consumers and patients. Amazentis' impressive science in the field of mitochondrial health opens significant new opportunities for us, and we are thrilled to partner with their capable team. Our global strategic partnership will include a significant investment to support further research and development of Urolithin A."

Chris Rinsch, PhD, Co-founder and CEO Amazentis, said, "We're excited to be partnering with Nestlé Health Science as they truly see the future of nutrition and share our vision of developing a new generation of clinically validated nutrients to counteract cellular aging. Urolithin A is the only clinically tested natural bioactive shown to improve mitochondrial health by activating the selective recycling of damaged mitochondria. This partnership will enable us to make this breakthrough more widely available and will support consumers in the proactive management of their cellular health."

Contacts

Nestlé

Kate Shaw
Nestlé US Corporate Communications
[email protected]

Amazentis

Federico Luna
Chief Marketing Officer Amazentis
[email protected]

About Nestlé Health Science

Nestlé Health Science (NHSc), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestlé, is a globally recognized leader in the field of nutritional science. At NHSc we are committed to empowering healthier lives through nutrition for consumers, patients and their healthcare partners. We offer an extensive consumer health portfolio of industry-leading medical nutrition, consumer and VMS brands that are science-based solutions covering all facets of health from prevention, to maintenance, all the way through to treatment. NHSc is redefining the way we approach the management of health in several key areas such as pediatric health, allergy, acute care, oncology, metabolic health, healthy aging, gastrointestinal health, and inborn errors of metabolism. Headquartered in Switzerland, NHSc employs over 5'000 people around the world, who are committed to making a difference in people's lives, for a healthier today and tomorrow.

About Amazentis

Amazentis is an innovative life science company that employs today's leading research and clinical science to develop the next generation of products targeting mitochondrial health for advanced nutrition. The Company's proprietary technology, Urolithin A (UA), is currently being evaluated in two Phase 2 clinical trials. Amazentis has established an extensive intellectual property portfolio and know how around UA, enabling the manufacture and development of advanced nutrition products for human applications. For more information on Amazentis, please visit www.amazentis.com or www.AboutUrolithinA.com.

SOURCE Nestlé Health Science