Promising launch for new omega-3 supplements

YourVitamins, a US-based dietary supplement manufacturer, has created a new range of omega-3 fish and flax oil supplements under the name ProCaps. The product was launched on the US Home Shopping Network earlier this month, and sold more than 40, 000 bottles in less than three hours, the company claimed.

ProCaps use the Licaps technology patented by Capsugel, the capsule technology division of drug giant Pfizer, and are excipient-free.

"I can now provide the benefits of liquids while maintaining the purity, potency and stability of our powder formulations,"​ said Andrew Lessman, founder of YourVitamins. "I've been waiting over 20 years for a soft-gelatin capsule alternative. I've already identified several other formulations for fast-track development and market introduction by the end of 2002. We are very excited about the possibilities."​

Capsugel's Licaps capsule delivery technology - originally developed for the pharmaceutical market - provides for the encapsulation of liquid and semi-solid materials into a hard-shell capsule, thereby avoiding the use of plasticisers in the outer shell and reducing the product degradation related to oxygen permeability that is often associated with soft-gelatin products.

"Everyone at Capsugel is very pleased with the consumer response to the ProCaps launch on HSN,"​ said Al Gabor, vice president and general manager of Capsugel.

"The collaboration for this launch is significant to the dietary supplement market. By combining research efforts from both industries, consumers receive higher quality products that reach the marketplace faster than ever before. This successful partnership illustrates how innovative technologies developed for pharmaceuticals can be used to help enhance dietary supplement products without additives."​