Sigma-tau HealthScience, Inc.: The Carnitine Connection™

With a specialty in many forms of carnitine, Sigma-tau S.p.A. Rome, (Pomezia) Italy and Sigma-tau HealthScience, Gaithersburg, MD, have been in the business of supplying nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals for almost three decades. The company has recently consolidated its U.S. marketing, regulatory and scientific affairs into one location. Ken Hassen, general manager/vice president, explained. “We have been manufacturing carnitine and selling the raw material under the Biosint name for close to 30 years. About five years ago, the market started changing so rapidly that it became essential to open a marketing division specifically focused towards the U.S. nutritional supplement industry in order to provide an immediate turnaround of information for our customers. Thus, the birth of Biosint USA.”

He continued, “Biosint is and always has been a part of Sigma-tau, manufacturing bulk L-carnitine for both the pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement industries. In 1998, we decided to expand our business. What was formerly Biosint USA, Inc. became Sigma-tau HealthScience Inc., Fine Chemicals Division. We have also created Sigma-tau HealthScience Inc., Consumer Products Division, which is a consumer products division selling specifically to doctors.”

Expanding on the new Sigma-tau HealthScience component, Mr. Hassen said, “We are educating professionals and our customers alike, mostly on carnitine-based products and on the Metabolic Approach™ to health and fitness. We have exciting and scientifically grounded products such as ProXeed™, which greatly enhances sperm motility, as well as over 150 Sigma-tau patents that are in various stages of commercialization. Sigma-tau Pharmaceuticals USA also remains, as a supplier of finished drugs such as Carnitor™ to the pharmaceutical industry.”

According to Mr. Hassen, “We have grown our market share to become the largest and most scientifically grounded company because we believe in science as well as the intelligence of our customers. Carnitine has been specified for years as a nutrient in infant nutrition and more recently, has grown in awareness among the adult population. We are now taking it to the next level, by taking advantage of the vast scientific research from the pharmaceutical side of our business and merging that with our real estate in the food ingredients sector.”

Commenting on its core carnitine business, Mr. Hassen said, “We are still in a growth market and there is still an upward trend. We feel that there is lots of opportunity to improve our way of doing business. Currently this focus is in the area of information to customers, he said. We have invested time in updating regulatory monographs, numerous seminars, publishing scientific and medical papers and authoring books.” In addition, the company has developed the Carnitina Thesaurus™, a huge database of 6000+ research papers on carnitine. “This is the core element for product development in its own most elegant right,” said Mr. Hassen. “We are now drilling down deeper, helping customers understand the product and the science. This is providing added value to the customer,” he commented.

Production of Biosint Carnitines™ occurs in Sermoneta, (Rome) Italy, where the parent company is based and Sigma-tau actually manufactures about eight different carnitine-based products. The company holds over 150 patents surrounding L-carnitine and specialty applications, alone and in joint formulations. Added Mr. Hassen, “We are the first raw material supplier and the only carnitine supplier to be NNFA-GMP certified.”

New this year are two products; both deal with the delivery of a high concentration of carnitine with improved handling characteristics. The first is CarniShield B94™, an im­proved encapsulated form of L-carnitine, while the other is DuraCarn™, a highly bioavailable version of L-carnitine that can hold up in hard gels or tablets for long periods on store shelves.—E.S.


Sigma-tau HealthScience Inc.
800 South Frederick Avenue, Suite 102
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
Telephone: 301-948-5450; 877-BIOSINT
Fax: 301-948-5452
E-mail: ken.hassen@st-hs.com
Website: www.biosintcarnitines.com