Reference is made to the stock exchange notice on 6 October 2020. HBC has now received approval from Health Canada for Qualified Health Claims (QHCs) for its Salmon Protein Hydrolysate (ProGo® and CollaGo®). HBC now produces the first non-iron based product to receive regulatory approval to maintain healthy levels of ferritin and hemoglobin and blood components required for oxygen transport thereby helping iron stores and helping with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). As the bioactive peptides in ProGo® and CollaGo® do not contain iron, they are free from the well-known gastrointestinal (GI) side effects seen with iron tablets such as nausea, constipation, and a metallic taste.
Approved Recommended Use and Purpose are: “helps maintain healthy levels of ferritin and hemoglobin”, “helps maintain healthy levels of blood components required for oxygen transport”, “provides antioxidants for the maintenance of good health” and “helps promote healthy skin”. Of note, the bioactive peptides do not contain any actual antioxidant compounds (natural or added), rather the bioactive peptides contained in ProGo ® and CollaGo® upregulate the body’s natural antioxidant genes to deliver this vital health benefit.
Using size exclusion chromatography and MALDI-TOF analysis, HBC has identified the active peptide fraction leading to the increase in ferritin and hemoglobin. This fraction consists of a limited number of structurally related peptides. During H1 2021, having already identified one or more of these peptides that are responsible for the increase in ferritin, HBC plans to produce a new composition of matter claim and commence clinical trial work for the prescription drug claim for the treatment of IDA.
HBC can now sell ProGo® and CollaGo® across the whole of North America following the unique set of Structure-Function Claims in the US (with reference to the press release on 13th October). Iron supplementation is a significant market in the US alone with approximately 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men lacking sufficient iron stores in their bodies. HBC’s bioactive peptides can now offer an alternative solution to this common problem without the need for iron which frequently results in GI irritation. Furthermore, Health Canada’s QHCs are internationally recognized by most Asian countries and therefore will be passported for their use in those countries too.
Source: www.globenewswire.com
