The significance of gut health has already existed even years prior to the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 but with limited attention from consumers. The pandemic, however, helped spur increased consumer awareness towards this health category. This presents a challenge and an opportunity for health and nutrition brands that require a unique ingredient if they are to succeed in the market.

To help brands explore their option, CTC Group Philippines, in partnership with Proliant Health & Biologicals (PHB), conducted a seminar last September 14 at the Joy Nostalg Manila Hotel and Suites in Pasig City. Entitled “NutraGamax: A Solution for Clinical and Nutritional Enteropathy Management”, the seminar provided an opportunity for brands to explore a bovine serum-derived ingredient that can be used for dietary supplements and medical foods. It also gave attendees to network with other players in the industry which can be helpful in forming collaborations for helping Filipino consumers in addressing their gut health problems.

To help brands explore their option, CTC Group Philippines, in partnership with Proliant Health & Biologicals (PHB), conducted a seminar last September 14 at the Joy Nostalg Manila Hotel and Suites in Pasig City. Entitled “NutraGamax: A Solution for Clinical and Nutritional Enteropathy Management”, the seminar provided an opportunity for brands to explore a bovine serum-derived ingredient that can be used for dietary supplements and medical foods. It also gave attendees to network with other players in the industry which can be helpful in forming collaborations for helping Filipino consumers in addressing their gut health problems.

Enteropathy is an umbrella term used for several conditions that arise from the disrupted normal functioning of the digestive tract. In his talk during the seminar, gastroenterologist Paolo Andrei Demapelis, MD discussed that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is responsible for a multitude of digestive and immune functions which depend upon the balanced interaction of the intestinal microbiota, diet, gut barrier function, and mucosal immune response. He noted how disruptions in any of these factors can lead to pathologic changes in the GI tract ultimately causing abdominal discomfort, bloating, and abnormal bowel function (e.g., diarrhea, urgency, constipation, and malabsorption).

Aside from the physical inconvenience, data also suggests that Filipinos are also afflicted by the financial burden caused by these GI disorders. In discussing the market outlook for this health category, CTC Group Philippines’ research associate Patrick Alegro presented data since 2018 showing that “acute gastroenteritis” and “peptic ulcer” are among the top ten medical claims made in PhilHealth. This suggests not only the wide prevalence of these GI disorders but also the increasing financial burden that these disorders cause.

The current product offerings for gut health in the market were also explored during the session. Not surprisingly, because of the decades-long existence in the local market, probiotics still comprise the largest share of the existing products. This, however, presents a challenge since probiotics no longer offer a potential unique selling proposition for brands who want to venture into the gut health category.

In order to stand out from their competition in the gut health area, brands need a new way of approaching their NPD projects. While probiotics is the dominant ingredient being used in food supplements, they no longer have the novelty and uniqueness that could help brands offer innovative products. This is compounded by the storage and stability challenges inherent with probiotics.

To help brands circumvent these challenges, Moises Contreras, Executive VP for Global Development of PHB, presented NutraGamax® as an alternative ingredient that brands can use without the handling issues associated with probiotics. NutraGamax® is a bovine serum-derived isolate, mostly comprised of immunoglobulins, that effectively and safely maintain optimal gut health. This ingredient primarily acts by binding toxins and pathogenic microbes, rendering them incapable of initiating damage to the GI lining or doing further harm to an already compromised one.

Supporting scientific studies was also presented by Christopher Warner, PhD, PHB’s Director of Research and Development. He presented the clinical studies showing how NutraGamax® helped improve the conditions of patients with disorders such as IBS-D by reducing the number of days of symptoms. This was most likely an effect arising from the product’s ability to reduce gut inflammation and permeability, as documented in another study.

NutraGamax® also offers another opportunity for brands that most ingredients can’t: applicability for medical food. Aside from the clinical studies, Warner also presented a series of medical case studies showing how standard treatment regimens supplemented with NutraGamax® helped patients recover faster. For example, in one case, a patient with colitis C. difficile infection was unresponsive to 9 days of metronidazole and vancomycin therapy characterized by at least 10 bloody diarrhea episodes per day. Within 48 hours of supplementing the treatment with NutraGamax®, the patient’s condition improved and was discharged from the hospital.

Finally, Contreras also showed the attendees how they can use this ingredient for their own brand by showcasing the existing NutraGamax® products abroad. Most of these products are in powder sachet format that can be conveniently dissolved in water or other drinks. In terms of positioning, a lot of those products are not limited with just gut health as some of those are also positioned for other areas such as sports nutrition, immunity, healthy aging, and even women’s beauty and health. He also remarked on the growing industry of integrative or direct-to-practitioner market in the US where finished products are being developed for clinicians to be offered to their patients.