Frutarom Health BU reports it will strengthen focus on its phytopharmaceutical business in 2017. This follows the 2016 acquisition of Extrakt Chemie GmbH & Co.KG, in Stadhagen, near Hannover, Germany, and supports the rapid growth of its pure phytopharmaceutical line.

The global size of the phytopharmaceutical market is estimated at €750-850 million, with 90% of the market concentrated domestically in the EU. German-speaking countries make up half of that market, followed by France. The predominant health areas this market covers are: cough & cold; mental health (stress, mood, fatigue, restlessness, cognition); gastrointestinal disorders; and cardiovascular health.

Frutarom Health plans to grow its Extrakt Chemie acquisition through globalization via Frutarom’s international sales network. Frutarom has initiated investments in the site to increase production capacity and fulfill the market needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The company has implemented a third production shift, to be followed by an expansion of the site (including production and office areas) to establish Extrakt Chemie as Frutarom´s Pharma Competence Center.

“With the acquisition of Extrakt Chemie, plus the directed site investments in people, equipment, manufacturing buildings and new offices, and  the new, combined team of highly experienced pharmaceutical experts, we feel Frutarom can bring significant value to the phytopharmaceuticals market,” says Barbara Bradl, Business Manager Pharma of Frutarom BU Health. “Adding the legacy Extrakt Chemie portfolio to the already strong EFLA®pharm line of Frutarom Health products creates new market opportunities for all both the companies and consumers. Growing this business is a key element of the Business Unit Health strategy.”

Frutarom’s premium portfolio of phytopharmaceutical ingredients, known as EFLA®pharm, has been significantly extended by such strategic acquisitions in the past 2 years. All products under the umbrella of EFLA®pharm are pharma-grade herbal extracts, produced according to GMP guidelines, and offer an advanced market entity to our business partners. The botanical extracts are suitable as APIs for the global pharmaceutical market, and are supported by a dedicated Regulatory Affairs team that provides specialized pharma services. All EFLA®pharm herbal extracts carry a pharma-grade documentation package that covers the 3.2.S part. This documentation package is also known as Active Substance Master File (ASMF).

The GMP-certified production and the Pharma Competence Center of Extrakt Chemie are strategically located in Stadthagen, in the center of Germany‑the heart of the global phytopharmaceutical market.