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Contact: Mariko Hill Job title: Global Innovation Manager Company: Gencor Pacific Contact: mariko@gencorpacific.com Visit us: www.levagenplus.com
1What type of hemp-sourced ingredients do you offer, and what is their unique position in the market?
Our partners in Switzerland, Linnea, create the finest hemp and cannabis extracts for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and dietary supplements. The consistent production practices result in extracts that are always uniform, one batch after another, and guarantee the consumers’ safety, and Linnea’s in-and-out analysis is always conducted to satisfy the highest market standards and certifications. These ingredients are superior quality and, thus, come at a premium, often too much of a premium, especially in the US market. Most manufacturers are looking to go to market quickly and economically, so a top-grade hemp-sourced ingredient is not what they are looking for. Alternatively, we also offer manufacturers an effective option to CBD, that is clinically tested, legal and safe in all markets and cost-effective, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA).
2Why should brands and manufacturers be interested in CBD alternatives?
CBD is everywhere at the moment, although it has various challenges relating to its legality, toxicity, and lack of studies conducted on a healthy human population (currently only diseased conditions thus can’t generalise). Some people also can't take CBD, such as elite athletes or those with a particularly harsh drug testing regimen at work, as CBD may still contain trace amounts of THC. Fortunately, for those people, there's PEA. This is a relatively new supplement trend with research dating back to the 50’s but now just beginning to surface, highlighting its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits. PEA is legal, safe and clinically proven to support pain, mood, recovery, sleep and immunity, and thus provides a solution for brands to quickly bring products to market.
3How do you support customers in bringing products to market that are efficacious and compliant with government regulations?
Levagen®+, Gencor’s bioavailable form of PEA, has a number of published studies to support its benefits on joint health, exercise recovery, mood and sleep. By continuously investing in gold standard clinical studies, Levagen®+ is the industry’s most researched and trusted PEA brand. Levagen®+ is also registered and sold across different markets as PEA is considered a food supplement and complies with government regulations globally. In order to ensure consumer trust and safety, Levagen®+ is manufactured in a TGA approved facility in Australia (gold standard in industry) and has Informed Ingredient Certification by LGC, ensuring every batch to be absent of WADA-prohibited substances, making it very attractive in Sport Nutrition formulas.
4What type of scientific research supports the efficacy of your ingredient(s)?
Research on PEA has been conducted for more than 50 years, and over 350 papers are referenced in PubMed describing the physiological properties of this endogenous modulator and its pharmacological and therapeutical profile. Additionally, if you look up Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in PubMed, 959 results come up, so it is safe to say that it’s very well researched. Our branded bioavailable PEA, Levagen®+, has five of its own published studies demonstrating its ability to be effective in joint health, exercise recovery, mood and sleep. It also has a pharmacokinetic study proving its superior absorption compared to standard PEA, therefore allowing brands to reduce dosage for equivalent efficacy. Levagen®+ also currently has two studies under peer-review that showed its ability reduce diabetic neuropathy and headaches (compared to Ibuprofen), that both adds armoury to the existing body of literature supporting PEA’s analgesic properties. More research on Levagen®+ is being conducted in the areas of enhancing immunity, sports performance and sleep.
5How has the market for hemp-sourced CBD ingredients and CBD alternatives evolved over time, and how has your company responded to these changes?
The CBD market boomed in previous years, until the world came to a halt due to COVID-19. When the pandemic hit, there was a reduction in traffic in-stores, along with a shift in focus from ingredient-led to more need state-led products (i.e., immunity). That said, CBD is known for its ability to influence the endocannabinoid system—a system involved in a number of physiological processes such as pain perception, mood, sleep and immunity, and thus ingredients that influenced the ECS remained a ‘hot’ topic. This is where PEA came into the limelight, not only because of the sheer amount of evidence it has on its ability to address such need states on a healthy human population, but also its legality and safety profile. For that reason, Gencor trademarked the name ‘notCBD®’ so brands can quickly launch products providing all the benefits CBD is touted to have, but in a safer and clinically supported way.
6Why is now the right time for product developers and marketers to bring unique new formulations with CBD to market?
Consumers are turning to CBD for myriad reasons, but the market and regulatory status require different thinking by brands
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Contact: Matteo Delbrück Job title: CEO Company: Swiss Organic Partners AG Contact: marketing@swopa.ch Visit us: www.swopa.ch
We offer the full range of naturally derived cannabinoid products, from full spectrum extracts, THC-free broad spectrum extracts to various cannabinoid isolates such as CBD, CBG and CBN. All our products are 100% Swiss made, are extracted from organic certified cultivation and produced in-house. We cover the full value chain in order to guarantee highest quality and transparency.
2How do you support customers in bringing products to market that are efficacious and compliant with government regulations?
As our company name suggests - Swiss Organic Partners -, we strongly believe in long-term partnership and therefore work very closely with our customers and support them wherever we can, from product development, education, product training to regulatory and product registrations. We have local account managers in most EU countries and have a in-house product and legal team who support our customers in all relevant aspects.
3What type of scientific research supports the efficacy of your ingredient(s)?
The cannabis industry is still in its infancy in terms of research. This makes it even more important for us to contribute to a better understanding of the plant and its therapeutic potential. We invest a lot in research and development. For example, we are conducting a multicenter study in Switzerland and Germany where we are using cannabinoids in cancer therapy to reduce chemotherapy-induced side effects.
4How has the market for hemp-sourced and related CBD ingredients evolved over time, and how has your company responded to these changes?
As the industry is still very young, it is characterised by thousands of small companies. The industry lacks in quality criteria and standards for cannabinoid products. In addition, the regulatory environment is still very complex, unclear and interpreted differently depending on the authority. However, we can see a professionalisation and consolidation in the market. We are trying to take a leading role by setting the highest quality standards and differentiating ourselves through transparency.
5Why is now the right time for product developers and marketers to bring unique new formulations with CBD to market?
Organic hemp production and supply chain control optimise the quality of finished CBD products. For Vitafoods 2022, Swiss Organic Partners AG offers a unique opportunity to visit the 20 hectares biological hemp cultivation located 1 hour away from the fair at Fribourg Canton