Nuritas strikes collaboration agreement with US manufacturer Pharmavite

15 Jan 2019

Nuritas founder and chief science officer Dr Nora Khaldi with CEO Emmet Browne. Image: Kieran Harnett

Dublin-based Nuritas is set to work with supplement manufacturer Pharmavite to discover and test new consumer products.

Nuritas and Pharmavite, a California-based vitamin, supplement and mineral manufacturer, have today (15 January) entered into a discovery and option agreement aimed at discovering and commercialising bioactive peptide networks for the consumer supplement market.

Nuritas will deploy its technology platform that combines artificial intelligence and DNA analysis to predict, unlock and validate bioactive peptide ingredients. Using its quality-driven, science-based capabilities, Pharmavite will formulate the bioactive peptides into consumer dose forms, validating efficacy with stringent clinical trials.

From treatment to prevention

“As consumer preference and healthcare necessity switches attention from treatment to prevention, nutritional supplements and functional foods play a key role in the Nuritas consumer strategy,” said Neil Foster, head of strategic partnerships at Nuritas. “Consumers are increasingly seeking natural products but with the highest possible levels of scientific evidence to support their efficacy.”

Vice-president of science and technology at Pharmavite, Dr Susan Hazels Mitmesser, said: “At Pharmavite, we’re committed to improving people’s lives and their nutritional status by raising the bar in scientific research, innovation and product development.”

Dr Chioma Ikonte, director of nutrition sciences at Pharmavite, said: “Our purpose of bringing the gift of health to life is the foundation for our science-based approach.”

CEO of Nuritas, Emmet Browne, added: “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to positively impact billions of lives worldwide.”

Nuritas on the up and up

Founded in 2014 by mathematician and bioinformatician Dr Nora Khaldi, Nuritas received €30m in funding from the European Investment Bank in November of last year. The start-up has also received investment from U2 members Bono and The Edge, as well as Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

Nuritas is no stranger to collaborating with other organisations, as it has partnered with firms from biopharma giant BASF to food player Nestlé in developing new products and researching bioactive peptides in natural food sources.

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

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