Proprietary Perspectives: The China Syndrome

The economic impact of China on nutraceutical bioactives is to be reckoned with, but “quality” may no longer be a lightning rod.

ByAnthony Almada, B.Sc., M. Sc.

In 1979 fiction mimicked reality in the film China Syndrome: three weeks after the Three Mile Island nuclear “accident” this film was released, as if orchestrated by a higher energy source. The plot juxtaposed the quest for knowledge and communications (news journalists motivated by principles of ethics and the public’s right to know, along with a sprinkling of journalistic recognition) and corporate greed (at the expense of public health and safety, and a willingness to implement extreme measures to insulate a financial position).

In the 1990’s a new China Syndrome materialized, using chemical warfare tactics and economic accessibility as leverage. These weapons of mass production at low cost first began to assault high volume commodity bioactives like ascorbic acid. Bioactives of Chinese origin began to be embraced by companies seeking profits and margins over posturing and marketing. China bashing became de rigeur among bioactive producers and marketers with occidental roots, and (personally) achieved its zenith with the entry (and alleged dumping) of creatine monohydrate into the U.S. market. The competitive weapons brandished by the occidentals were “Impurities”, “Solvents”, “Adulterated”, “Infringement” (of process patents), and “Unstable”.

The emergence of China as a bioactive superpower is not to be overlooked, and heralds a new vista in the global bioactive ingredient. A critical assessment of the nutraceuticals landscape, centering upon bioactives as constituents of finished goods, leaves one with a lingering generic “aftertaste”. What bioactive ingredient produced in occidental regions, not on patent, continues to attract and retain zealot consumers? It’s not any of the letter vitamins, nor is it many of the higher priced unimolecular entities (e.g., amino acids, carotenoids or glucosamine). With L-carnitine fumarate off patent, the impetus to produce this molecule “China style” is strong, while L-carnitine tartrate enjoys only a few more years of patent life. The vortex that holds CoQ10 hostage positions Japan (and its bioprocessing power) against a Chinese manufacturing community (and perhaps a soon to emerge non-Asian fine chemicals powerhouse) seeking a chemical/semi-synthetic solution to the ubiquinone über alles challenge. The specter of “made in China” is effectively being transformed, even shapeshifted, into a tangible corpus of chemical uniformity and supply chain confidence, which could usher in a platform that taps consumer minds.

Does the chemical toolbox allow one to distinguish fiction from reality and achieve a competitive edge over the China Syndrome? One of the most recent examples is L-theanine. In fact, a recent publication (Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2004) showed that several China-sourced ingredients marketed as “L-theanine” are actually a mixture of D- and L-isomers (a racemic mixture). More importantly (and perhaps of medicolegal significance), the biological fate of a racemic mixture differs (at least in lab rats) from that of isomerically pure L-theanine (Chirality, 2005). A far more complex discussion ensues if we begin to delve into plant extracts. A botanical extract standardized for a small percentage of its weight to a marker compound (e.g., white willow bark for salicin) is NOT chemo-identical to a botanical extract with the same marker percentage, as the remaining balance of the phytochemicals differ modestly to massively. Indeed, clinical comparator trials between three different ginkgo extracts with claimed identical marker profiles have been shown to differ biologically (as has been mentioned in this column in the past).

Bioactive ingredient producers/marketers have not embraced the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, as elegantly illustrated by Intel. “Branding” is rampant, with superscript “TM” and even trademark registration but is it infectious to the consumer? The merger mania that appears to characterize China’s business sector may foster a landslide to or from non-occidental bioactive producers. Could this expensive expansion be circumvented by implementation of a DTC campaign that exploits brand trust and, where applicable, biological uniqueness (i.e., clinical trial/evidence-based bioactives sold for biology—what consumers really buy nutraceuticals for), not chemistry?NW