Epax launches first commercially available VLC-PUFA product

GRAS- and non-novel food-approved EPAX^®Evolve 05 will debut at Vitafoods Europe

Epax has launched EPAX^® Evolve 05 – the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA (very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid) product.

VLC-PUFAs are a family of Omega-3 fatty acids that offer particular potential in the healthy ageing category. Pre-clinical studies have found that supplementation is associated with improved sight,¹and that depletion is linked to age-related phenomena such as reduced bone density and muscle strength.² Additionally, VLC-PUFAs have been found to have profound effects in areas such as skin health and male fertility.

Epax has played a leading role in much of the research on VLC-PUFAs from fish oil. Ten years ago, Epax discovered that fish oil contains small amounts of these valuable fatty acids and developed a method for concentrating them. Epax now holds several patent families in the field, paving the way to development of EPAX^® Evolve 05 – a unique new marine concentrate, and the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA product.

Containing around ten times the amount of VLC-PUFAs as crude fish oil, the patent-protected concentrate is part of the company’s NovusLipid range, which features up-and-coming marine ingredients.

EPAX^®Evolve 05 has already been evaluated by regulators. Acting on behalf of EFSA, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has concluded that it is not a Novel Food, allowing it to be marketed in the EU. In the US, Epax recently obtained self-affirmed GRAS status following an expert panel assessment. To achieve this, it performed genotoxicity and repeat dose toxicology studies, leading to two peer-reviewed papers.^3,4

Commercial availability means that Epax can now also support researchers by providing samples of EPAX^® Evolve 05 for intervention studies.

Bjørn Refsum, CEO of Epax said: “VLC-PUFAs offer enormous potential in areas like vision and healthy ageing. However, research into their benefits was previously hindered by a lack of material containing VLC-fatty acids in significant amounts. We’re proud to have been able to develop a VLC-concentrate that opens the door for further research and brings a new family of valuable fatty acids to the marketplace. The stage is set for a new era for Omega-3.”

Exhibiting at Stand 3J58, Epax will showcase EPAX® Evolve 05 at Vitafoods Europe (20^th to 22^nd May in Barcelona).

¹ Yang, Z.H., et al., Dietary fish oil enriched in very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid reduces cardiometabolic risk factors and improves retinal function. iScience, 2023. 26(12): p. 108411.

² Li, X., et al., Lipid metabolism dysfunction induced by age-dependent DNA methylation accelerates aging. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 2022. 7(1): p. 162.

³ Tobin, D., et al., Genotoxicity evaluation of a fish oil concentrate containing Very Long Chain Fatty Acids. Toxicol Rep, 2023. 11: p. 249-258.

⁴ Tobin, D., et al., Toxicological evaluation of a fish oil concentrate containing Very Long Chain Fatty Acids. Food Chem Toxicol, 2024. 186: p. 114518.

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