Hofseth BioCare Announces Global Innovation Partnership with Catalent to Develop Delayed-Release Formulation of OmeGo® Fish Oil
ALESUND, NORWAY – May 12, 2021 — Hofseth BioCare ASA (HBC), a Norwegian biotech company that develops high-value ingredients and finished products, today announced that it has begun a global innovation partnership with Catalent, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products, to develop a delayed-release formulation of HBC’s OmeGo® fish oil.
The partnership will see Catalent use its proprietary OptiGel® DR technology to encapsulate OmeGo, HBC’s unique fish oil derived from sustainable, traceable, and fresh Norwegian Atlantic salmon. OptiGel DR technology enables an enteric release profile for softgel capsules without the need for an additional external coating, thereby employing a one-step manufacturing process, which avoids the heat and drying of the coating process that may otherwise degrade the fish oil.
HBC is currently conducting studies to assess the potential role of OmeGo fish oil in preventing disease progression and helping to reduce inflammation, including in patients experiencing inflammation caused by COVID-19. Results are expected over the coming months and will provide wide-ranging insights on the potential of OmeGo fish oil to help the body resolve inflammation driven by a viral infection.
“Our research into the health benefits of our unique oil has come a long way in the last 18 months, and we look forward to collaborating with Catalent, and hope to develop the partnership further, to leverage its innovative oral technologies to ensure the most efficacious delivery system,” commented Dr. Bomi Framroze, Chief Scientific Officer of HBC. “OptiGel DR will enhance the OmeGo franchise, bringing advanced delivery technology as well as raising its profile amongst global leading healthcare companies.”
“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to combine the features of a high-quality ingredient with our new OptiGel DR capsule technology to create a product that delivers optimal benefits and experience for consumers,” commented Dr. Aris Gennadios, President, Softgel and Oral Technologies, Catalent. “Our rich history and innovation in softgel technology has allowed us to create a dosage form that delivers ingredients and formulations with an enteric release profile in robust capsules, providing product performance to meet consumers’ expectations.”
OptiGel DR capsule technology was launched by Catalent in 2020, and offers innovators an opportunity to formulate products in a patient-preferred softgel dosage form with a delayed-release profile that offers many advantages, including protecting active ingredients that may be degraded by acid in the stomach and releasing those active ingredients directly in the intestines where they are absorbed, potentially enhancing bioavailability. The technology also preserves the clarity of the capsule, which is important for HBC to showcase the distinctive color of OmeGo fish oil, as well as retaining the characteristic ease of swallowing that consumers associate and prefer with softgel dose forms.
For more information on OptiGel DR, visit https://consumerhealth.catalent.com/nutritional-supplements/dose-forms/optigel-dr-softgel-technology.
ABOUT HOFSETH BIOCARE ASA
HBC is a Norwegian biotech company that develops high-value ingredients and finished products currently targeting the consumer health market. Research is ongoing to identify the individual elements within the products that modulate inflammation and the immune response with pre-clinical studies in multiple clinics and university research labs in several countries. Lead clinical and pre-clinical candidates are in development for the protection of the Gastro-Intestinal (GI) system against inflammation, including ulcerative colitis and the orphan condition necrotising enterocolitis, as a Medical Food to help treat age-related Sarcopenia, and as a treatment for Iron Deficiency Anemia, all using peptide fractions of Salmon Protein Hydrolysate. Preclinical trial work with the oil is ongoing to ameliorate lung inflammation in eosinophilic asthma and COPD (“smokers lung”) as well as clinical work in COVID.
The company is founded on the core values of sustainability and optimal utilization of natural resources. Through an innovative hydrolysis technology, HBC can preserve the quality of lipids, proteins and calcium from fresh salmon off-cuts.
Hofseth BioCare’s headquarters are in Ålesund, Norway with branches in Oslo, London, Zürich, Chicago, Mumbai, Palo Alto and Tokyo.
ABOUT CATALENT
Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products. With over 85 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable global clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs approximately 15,000 people including around 2,400 scientists and technicians, at more than 45 facilities, and in fiscal year 2020 generated over $3 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.catalent.com