Unique opportunity for NZ as Calocurb looks to conduct
largest NZ clinical research of its kind
The
ongoing obesity epidemic, which is
responsible for 2.8 million deaths per year, has given
rise to a multi-billion-dollar global market for appetite
suppressant pharmaceuticals.
Kiwi business Calocurb has an
unprecedented opportunity to grow its position in this
market with a natural extract called Amarasate™ that is
unique to New Zealand, discovered and developed by
scientists from government-owned Crown Research Institute Plant
& Food Research.
Research was recently
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
proving the effectiveness of Amarasate, prompting Calocurb
to begin a NZD$5 million capital raise with plans to grow
revenue to more than NZD$100 million in the next five
years.
An opportunity for New Zealand
The
burgeoning market for appetite suppressant pharmaceuticals
is powered by the utilisation of GLP-1, put simply, a
hormone that helps tell your brain you’re
full.
Global pharmaceutical companies have invested
millions developing synthetic injectable GLP-1 products that
have become increasingly popular and effective at curbing
appetites. The hype around GLP-1 is backed by a recent
Morgan Stanley Research statement
estimating the global obesity market could be worth more
than USD$50 billion by the end of the decade.
In 2016,
Plant & Food Research discovered a natural extract they
called Amarasate™
as part of a NZD$20 million New Zealand Government-funded
research programme.
Amarasate is a natural extract of
a specific variety of hops bred for and only grown in New
Zealand. Plant & Food Research exclusively license
Amarasate to Calocurb. It has been clinically demonstrated
to regulate eating behaviour by stimulating your body’s
release of GLP-1 naturally. Clinical trials showed
that taking Amarasate before a meal can reduce hunger, the
amount of food eaten and therefore reduce calorie
intake.
Sarah Kennedy, Calocurb CEO, says obesity
epidemic is a complex issue that already costs
New Zealand approximately NZD$2 billion in healthcare costs
per year.
“This is a growing problem. We need to
be doing everything we can to find tools and solutions that
can help people better manage their weight.
“The
team at Plant & Food Research have dedicated the last 12
years to this research. It has the potential to positively
change health outcomes for millions of people across the
world.”
Amarasate is a natural product that
doesn’t require a medical prescription. It is taken orally
via a Calocurb capsule, rather than injected like its
synthetic counterparts.
Calocurb’s side effects are
minimal, while GLP-1 injectables commonly cause nausea,
diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting.
On top of this,
Calocurb is a fraction of the price at $59.99 per month,
other solutions can cost more than 20x this
amount.
Kennedy says New Zealand has a unique
opportunity to be a leader in the rapidly growing
international market.
“The world’s largest
pharmaceutical companies are backing GLP-1 drugs as a key
solution to the obesity epidemic. While synthetics are being
developed, no other natural product has shown the potency of
GLP-1 stimulation generated by Amarasate.
“The rapid
growth of the appetite suppressant market is an incredible
opportunity for New Zealand to harvest a valuable natural
resource that can be used to tackle global obesity, one of
our biggest health challenges of the next decade. Calocurb
is proud to bring this natural, affordable, and effective
solution to people across the world,” says
Kennedy.
Capital raise and the largest NZ clinical
research of its kind
Millions of dollars have already
been invested in the research and development of Amarasate,
which has helped to clinically demonstrate taking Calocurb
before a meal can reduce hunger, the amount of food eaten,
and calorie intake.
When compared to international
pharmaceutical counterparts, what’s currently missing is a
clinical study proving that Calocurb helps users lose
weight.
After the $5 million capital raise, Calocurb
will organise what is anticipated to be the largest clinical
weight loss trial of its kind in New Zealand.
Kennedy
says the trial will build on previous clinical research to
give Calocurb what is required to make weight loss claims in
all key markets across the world, including the United
States.
“We’re planning a gold standard clinical
research programme with more than 150 participants and a
double-blind randomised trial. It will be ethics approved
and will take at least 12 months including recruitment,
trial, results analysis, and publication.
“It will
give us what we need to solidify and grow Calocurb’s
position in the United States, the largest anti-obesity
market in the world which is currently growing at 51% per
annum.
“This capital raise will propel Calocurb’s
growth over the next two-year period as the appetite
suppressant market is further established. We intend to be
world leaders in this field,” says
Kennedy.
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