SCN SIGNS UNIQUE 10-YEAR NUTRACEUTICALS RESEARCH AGREEMENT WITH KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET IN STOCKHOLM
Scandinavian Clinical Nutrition AB (SCN) has signed a 10-year Agreement with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Under the Agreement, preclinical and clinical studies on nutritional substances and products (so-called nutraceuticals) will be conducted at KI on behalf of SCN. The Agreement represents a minimum investment of SEK 60 million for SCN, but the amount can rise if required by the results of the project.
Karolinska Institutet (KI) is one of the world’s leading medical research institutions, with a research budget of more than SEK 1,2 billion and hundreds of researchers and clinicians working in many different fields. KI also has a strong brand name, partly due to the Institute’s connection to the Nobel Prize, but also due to its status and credibility as an academic institution.
“We welcome the fact that KI wants to enter into the field of nutraceuticals research. There is a great need for research on biological and medical effects of nutrition, and the fact that the studies are conducted at KI will give the results scientific credibility and a high profile. Working with KI also has economical benefits, since KI already has all the necessary staffing and equipment that we need – as well as patients, who will take part in the studies”, says Dr. Dan Edwall, Director of Research at SCN.
Professor Martin Schalling, Coordinator at KI for the project, agrees with Edwall and adds that through the Agreement, KI will be able to secure a position as a leading international nutrition research institution.
“The Agreement can also serve as a good example of an industry-academia partnership, something that all Swedish universities are required to have, and also strongly encouraged by the European Union”, says Schalling.
SCN now has the foundation on which an international and innovative nutrition company with a broad base of both knowledge and products can be built. The Agreement with KI gives SCN the possibility to establish a position as a first mover and long-term market leader on R&D within the nutraceuticals field.
“A co-operation like the SCN-KI Agreement is something completely new for the nutrition industry, and few companies have even attempted anything similar. Now, clinical studies on products and substances can be conducted in a completely neutral research environment, and this will take nutraceuticals to a new level when it comes to product quality and end consumer confidence. In other words, the Agreement will create a whole new set point for the nutrition business, and this is something that not only the market and the consumers should appreciate, but also the authorities involved. We all share the same interest, which is to secure the individual’s access to safe, efficient and scientifically documented products from our sector”, Dr. Edwall concludes.
More information:
Ulf Söderberg, CEO, ulf.soderberg@scnutrition.com, +46 708 13 22 81
Dan Edwall, Director of Research, dan.edwall@scnutrition.com, +46 707 98 80 89
Professor Martin Schalling, Karolinska Institutet, martin.schalling@ki.se, +46 704 84 12 30
Scandinavian Clinical Nutrition AB (publ) works in R&D and sales of scientifically documented products within the field of nutrition (nutraceuticals). Established in 2006, SCN maintains a product portfolio with established trademarks, such as CUUR, Membraseven and Ledactin. Core competence and strategic alliances, within both R&D and sales, in combination with innovative and scientifically documented products, create the right conditions for profitable growth both in Sweden and in the company’s export markets. The SCN share is listed for trade on NGM Nordic MTF since December 6, 2006.