Improved probiotic products for women’s health – an unmet market need
Probi® enters into a probiotic research partnership with focus on vaginal health
Probi® and Tervisetehnoloogiate Arenduskeskus AS, Estonia, also known as the Competence Centre on Health Technologies (CCHT), have signed a long-term Research and Development collaboration agreement aimed to develop novel products based on probiotic lactobacilli strains. As part of the collaboration Probi will get specific access to a unique and proprietary bacterial strain library.
Professor Reet Mändar (CCHT and University of Tartu), who has longstanding expertise within this health area expresses her expectations to the research collaboration together with Probi: “We are hoping to introduce novel and scientifically validated probiotics with benefits for several gynecological disorders. I am looking forward to this highly synergistic cooperation with our scientific expertise in combination with Probi’s skills in product development and commercialization.”
Vaginal infections represent one of the most common reasons for gynecological consultations
70% of all women are estimated to experience at least one episode of yeast infection and 30% will suffer from bacterial vaginosis (inflammation caused by bacteria), among which many will have recurrent episodes12. Common for many vaginal infections is a disturbance of the vaginal microbiota where the normal protective lactobacilli dominated microbiota has been disrupted.
Titti Niskanen, Director R&D & Clinical Operations at Probi® comments: “Traditional treatment options have been centered around antibiotics and antifungals to get rid of the infection, but without focus on reestablishing a healthy balanced vaginal microbiota and in some cases causing an even more severe disruption. Thus, vaginal probiotics may have an important role in establishing healthy microbial communities in a natural way and thereby helping maintain vaginal health.”
Hardi Tamm, Development manager at CCHT adds: “Probiotics have great potential to help reduce cases of recurrent infections, which sometimes can lead to more severe health conditions. Therefore, we are pleased to have reached a collaboration agreement with Probi and are looking forward to taking our existing know-how together to the next level in finding a health solution which meets the unmet needs of many women.”
Efficacious and science supported probiotic vaginal health products - an unmet market need
There were 96 new vaginal health supplement launches in 2020 and 74 of these contained probiotics, corresponding to 77% of overall vaginal health supplement launches*. So, clearly the consumer need is there – and the belief that probiotics might play an important role is also there - but the question is if the current probiotic offerings meet the consumer expectations.
Tom Rönnlund, CEO, Probi: “Probiotics are well established as having health benefits within vaginal health, but there are ample opportunities for improved products on the market”. And Rönnlund continues: “A long term collaboration with CCHT will add new expertise and opportunities into Probi’s R&D portfolio and we are excited about the formation of this new relationship.”
For further information, please contact:
Titti Niskanen, Director R&D & Clinical Operations, Probi®,
Phone: +46 46 286 89 68, E-mail: titti.niskanen@probi.com
Tom Rönnlund, CEO, Probi®,
Phone: +46 46 286 89 40, E-mail: trd@probi.com
Charlotte Beyerholm, Director Marketing & Global Communication, Probi®,
Phone: +46 76 870 94 65, E-mail: charlotte.beyerholm@probi.com
Hardi Tamm, Development manager, Tervisetehnoloogiate Arenduskeskus AS
Phone: +372 733 0401, E-mail: hardi.tamm@ccht.ee
References:
1 Yano, J. et al.(2019) BMC Women's Health 19 (48). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-019-0748-8
2 Peebles, K et al. (2019) Sexually Transmitted Diseases 46(5):304-311
*Innova Market Insights, November 2020 report from Innova Database
ABOUT PROBI
Probi® is a global company focused exclusively on researching, manufacturing, and delivering probiotics for
supplements and functional food. We are experts at managing stable, live bacteria from R&D through every
stage of the manufacturing process, and are dedicated to making the health-enhancing benefits of probiotics
available to people everywhere. Our health concepts, formulations, and formats are supported by robust clinical
documentation. Since our founding in 1991 at Sweden’s Lund University, Probi has expanded its operations to
more than 40 markets. We hold more than 400 patents globally. Read more at www.probi.com.
ABOUT THE COMPETENCE CENTRE ON HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES (CCHT)
Tervisetehnoloogiate Arenduskeskus AS (Competence Centre on Health Technologies, CCHT) is a biotechnology company focused on research and product development in personalised medicine, drug development and both human and veterinary reproductive medicine. CCHT’s core expertise lays in research-intensive analysis such as prenatal screening, endometrial receptivity testing etc. In order to develop innovative technologies it actively cooperates with many institutions in Europe and worldwide. Read more at www.ccht.ee.
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