Under the agreement terms, OptiBiotix grants the Italian supplement firm twelve months exclusivity of the European market, in which Nutrilinea will cover all product development, manufacturing and human studies costs.
The deal excludes the UK-based market for which OptiBiotix Health has exclusive access as the firm’s business development director Dr Luis Gosalbez said, "We are delighted to announce this deal.”
“This broadens the use of LPLDL beyond cholesterol reduction and creates new market opportunities in the field of cardiovascular health.
“Hypertension is a global health issue, which is on the rise where there are very few active ingredients or supplements proven to lower blood pressure in humans.
“The development of a hypertension product containing LPLDL has the potential to address a large global market of unmet clinical need."
‘A preferred manufacturer’
In commenting on the deal, OptiBiotix, a biotechnology firm based in the UK, refer to Nutrilinea as a "preferred manufacturer" highlighting existing company links forged in November 2018.
Nutrilinea, based near Milan in northern Italy, already produce Optibiotix’s CholBiome, CholBiome x3, two products that address cardiovascular health via food supplements that combine Monacolin K from red yeast rice, vitamin B3 (niacin) and LPLDL to help maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.
Specifically, Nutrilinea uses technology that enables the production of multilayer tablets used in CholBiome x3 that will also be used for this new product.
Nutrilinea also oversee the production of SlimBiome, a blend of prebiotics and dietary fibres that help to create a longer-lasting feeling of fullness and help users with managing weight.
The accompanying trace mineral content enhances the body’s use of insulin, helping to metabolise carbohydrate and fat.
SlimBiome is the focus of another deal announced today (22 May) as Optibiotix reveal details of an exclusive distributor agreement with Extensor.
The agreement lets the Polish firm exclusively import, market and distribute OptiBiotix's GoFigure meal replacements, flapjacks and mueslis that contain the SlimBiome technology to the Polish market.
Increasing brand recognition
"This is part of a commercial strategy of working across multiple levels of the value chain (manufacturer, formulator and distributor) for the supply of white label and own label branded products,” said Christina Wood, Optibiotix’s sales and marketing director.
“This is the first step in taking OptiBiotix's own label GoFigure products to international markets, increasing brand recognition and value in addition to creating a demand for SlimBiome, the functional ingredient within GoFigure products.
“This means we are able to derive revenue from both the sale of our own brand GoFigure products and SlimBiome."
Optibiotix’s presence in Europe was boosted back in December 2018, when the company chose a distributor for SlimBiome in Greece and the island nation of Cyprus.
The agreement allowed the distributor exclusive distribution rights in the two countries and first right of refusal for the Gulf States in exchange for hitting annual sales targets to retain exclusivity.
The series of deals ends an eventful week for Optibiotix Health having inked another deal involving its LPLDL probiotic strain earlier this month.
The three-year agreement is with the Spanish Institute of Personalised Nutrition (IENP) in a deal that grants them non-exclusive rights to manufacture and market food supplements containing OptiBiotix's LPLDL in Spain.
