2023: A year in review

Reflecting on the close of 2023, Clasado Biosciences has seen a number of key successes that underline its continual growth, and that of its science-backed prebiotic ingredient, Bimuno® GOS.

From breakthrough research findings to new strategic partnerships that expand the global footprint of the business, Clasado continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing the field of gut microbiome modulation powered by prebiotics.

Before looking ahead to 2024, Clasado is proud to share a summary of its activity and accomplishments over the past twelve months.

Below, we share Clasado’s developments in:

  • The global expansion of Bimuno GOS
  • Research & Development
  • Synbiotic matchmaking with Probi AB
  • Regulatory successes
  • Events & Exhibitions
  • Scientific Advisory Board for Medical Nutrition

Global expansion of Bimuno GOS
In line with the strategic growth vision of the business, Clasado has established several new distribution partnerships that see Bimuno GOS available in new markets and territories.

Strengthening the ingredient’s presence across the European market, health and nutrition ingredient specialist Tecom Ingredients was appointed distributor of Bimuno GOS to Spain and Portugal, while a new agreement with Ideactifs saw the ingredient made available in France and Belgium.

Another important step forward saw functional ingredient and raw material supplier, Phytonet AG, add Bimuno GOS to its portfolio, expanding its presence in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Japan.

Finally, Cosmic Concord Corp. Ltd, the functional ingredient business unit of 3C Group, received exclusive distribution rights to supply Bimuno GOS to formulators in Thailand.

Research & Development
Playing its part in advancing the gut health science field, Clasado has been at the centre of crucial new studies through the year, that shed further light on the potential of prebiotics in supporting health and wellbeing.

New published studies through 2023 include further investigation on the role of prebiotics in sport and athletic health, conducted by Dr Neil Williams and published in the European Journal of Sport Science.

Bimuno GOS was also utilised in a study that examined the connection between common symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and low-FODMAP diets, and investigated whether a diet fortified with prebiotic supplementation can bring improved outcomes.

Synbiotic matchmaking with Probi
Clasado, in partnership with Probi AB, launched two synbiotic combinations that aim to help health and nutrition formulators capitalise on the rising demand for synbiotic products. These are Bimuno GOS and Probi Digestis®, and Bimuno GOS and Probi Defendum®, formulated to support gastrointestinal and immune health respectively.

Marking an exciting step forwards in the synbiotic category, the research into Bimuno GOS and Probi Defendum demonstrates a synergistic synbiotic combination that showcases selective utilisation of the prebiotic GOS by the probiotic; a market-first.

Further, the combination of Bimuno GOS and Digestis showcases complementary mechanisms of action and enters the market as the most researched synbiotic ingredient pairing, with the combined studies behind the ingredients covering almost 340 publications. The launch adds further strength to Clasado’s reputation as a global leader in scientifically-backed functional ingredient developer.

Regulatory success
Clasado has achieved a significant milestone in its global expansion strategy, as Health Canada, the Canadian health and wellness regulatory body, granted approval for the use of its prebiotic ingredient, Bimuno GOS, in Natural Health Products (NHPs).

This approval comes with an impressive endorsement of 10 health claims that can be featured on products containing Bimuno GOS. The approval not only signifies a crucial step forward for Clasado’s ambitions in the Canadian market but also underscores the science-backed potential of Bimuno GOS for formulators.

The claims approved by Health Canada offer a comprehensive overview of the benefits associated with Bimuno GOS, ranging from supporting a healthy digestive system to relieving digestive symptoms and increasing levels of healthy gastrointestinal bacteria.  These claims provide a robust foundation for the ingredient’s positioning in the market.

In addition, Clasado secured seven additional self-substantiated food-health claims for Bimuno GOS with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ). The additions bring the total to 29 claims, establishing Bimuno GOS as the preferred choice for health and nutrition formulators in Australia and New Zealand.

Events and Exhibitions
Aiming to make leading prebiotic science more accessible than ever before, Clasado has attended, or spoken at, many key industry events throughout the year. This includes not only to functional ingredient and nutrition events, but also to academic and healthcare events.

Among the events that Clasado had a presence at were the inaugural Gira Ingredients Club, Vitafoods, ESPEN, Probiota Americas and Innovations in Food Science and Human Nutrition 2023 and Supply Side West. In addition, Clasado attended Probiota Europe, Gulfoods, VitaFoods Asia, Food Ingredients Asia (FI Asia) and Food Ingredients Europe (FI Europe).

One of the key focal points of 2023 was Clasado’s presence at SupplySide West. In addition to a presence on the Global Prebiotic Association’s Pavilion, Clasado launched its two synbiotic concepts in partnership with Probi AB.

In another exciting display at SupplySide West, Clasado teamed up with North American distribution partner Stratum Nutrition to showcase a prebiotic-postbiotic gummy concept, offering a glimpse into the future potential of the category.

Scientific Advisory Board for Medical Nutrition
As testament to the company’s ongoing commitment to driving scientific advancements, Clasado partnered with esteemed scientists in the field of medical nutrition to form a scientific advisory board that aims to explore how prebiotics can be utilised in medical applications.

Intended to explore the utilisation of prebiotics in the category, the board includes renowned scientific advisors, Prof. Georg Holländer, Prof. Matthias Kloor and Prof. Huub Savelkoul alongside Clasado team members Per Rehné, CEO, Dr Frederic Narbel, VP of Sales B2B, and Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director.

Finally, the business has continued its support of charity partner, Sport in Mind. Helping the organisation to raise vital funds for those going through mental health challenges, Clasado raised £825 in a charity raffle, and will be exploring further opportunities in 2024.

Is 2024 the year your formulations take advantage of cutting-edge prebiotic science?

Click here to contact our team and learn more about the science behind Bimuno GOS.