AVESTHAGEN LIMITED launches Avesta brand of plant –based BioActives

PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 21, 2008 – AVESTHAGEN LIMITED, India’s leading knowledge based Life Sciences Company, today announced the launch of seven new botanical bioactives under the Avesta brand aimed to promote wellness through prevention of specific degenerative conditions like diabetes, bone loss and cardiovascular diseases. The bioActives will be available as dietary supplements appealing to the Youthful as well as in cereal bars and cracker categories.

Avesthagen uses two of its patented technologies to develop the bioActives; Adept a comprehensive database that brings together traditional medicine with modern systems biology and MetaGrid, a unique algorithm that enables comprehensive constituent profiling. The metabolic fingerprints generated not only help chararacterize the bioActives but also help in quality control and assurance. The MetaGrid also helps maintain batch-to-batch reproducibility of the bioactive, which is an issue in conventional systems. Avesthagen uses cell-based assays and GLP-compliant preclinical studies to ensure safety and efficacy of the bioActives. Organoleptic optimization is done to improve the taste and other properties. The bioActives are manufactured in an ISO 9001:2000, ISO22000:2005 facility.

The bioActives launched include:

Bioactive    Benefits
Aspand   Controls Blood sugar
Teestar   Moderates blood sugar levels
Cincata   Maintains blood glucose levels
Bonapure   Promotes bone growth
Phytossea   Assists in inhibiting cartilage degradation
Smartchol   Moderates cholesterol levels
Xanomax   Has antioxidant properties

Speaking on the launch, Dr Villoo Morawala Patell, Founder, Chairperson and Managing Director of Avesthagen Limited said, “We strongly believe that science and technology is the way to bring to the people the immense knowledge base of traditional medicine resulting in quality ingredients that add to taste and health needs. Avesthagen’s goal is to incorporate great-tasting, life-enhancing natural ingredients into the world's lifestyle. We have extensively studied the market and our bionutrition development team has created bioactives with variants that hold tremendous uses for the consumer. These seven bioActives will be followed by many more that are in the pipeline.”

Chronic diseases contributed approximately 60% of the 56.5 million total reported deaths in the world and approximately 46% of the global burden of disease in 2001. The proportion of the burden of these diseases is expected to increase to 57% by 2020. This increase in the number of chronic diseases and degenerative conditions across the globe has spurred interest in these health promoting ingredients.

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About Avesthagen Limited
Avesthagen Limited (www.avesthagen.com) is India’s leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. It’s partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the ‘India advantage’.

For more information, please contact:
Anil Chauhan
Avesthagen Limited
Vice President – Business Development
Tel: +91-80-2841 1665/2308 Fax: +91-80-2841 8780,
E: anilram@avesthagen.com

Rishu Sharma   
The PRactice
Tel/Fax: +91-11-30886585 /86/ 87
Mobile: +91 - 9971594016
E: rishu@the-practice.net