Tishcon: Transforming An Industry One Nutraceutical At a Time

Tishcon Corporation, Westbury, NY, was profiled in the April 2000 Supply Source section as a company intent on moving beyond contracting manufacturing and into more specialized areas of the nutraceuticals industry. In interviewing Mr. Raj Chopra, founder and president, it was plain to see that he and his company were way ahead of their time.

“I became involved in the nutraceuticals industry long before Dr. Stephen DeFelice coined the word ‘nutraceutical,’” he said, adding, “I also have an abiding interest in natural substances. I chose nutra­ceuticals because of my firm conviction that food and its numerous components are the best medicine!”

While Mr. Chopra saw a lucrative future in CoQ10, his company’s specialty, he also knew that exploring delivery technologies was of the utmost importance to its survival. He also knew how important it was going to be to offer CoQ10 to other markets beyond nutraceuticals. Before there was even a name for it, he was envisioning a world where creams and lotions would be fortified with CoQ10 to create a new segment called “cosmeceuticals,” a term not yet accepted by industry at the time. Mr. Chopra knew then as he knows now that companies in the nutraceuticals market must live on the cutting-edge of technology and give consumers what they want before they even know they want it.

Since 2000, Tishcon has been busy expanding its soft gelatin capsule manufacturing facility and developing products with increased biovailability, especially as this pertains to CoQ10 and ubiquinol. Its liquid ubiquinol products are currently being studied in an FDA-funded clinical trial. But it doesn’t stop there. The company has also been working with superstar ingredients like curcumin and omega 3 fatty acids.

Tishcon supplies a wide range of products in tablet, hard gelatin capsule, soft gelatin capsule, liquid and powder forms. In the area of bulk materials, the company offers “bio­availability enhanced” CoQ10 in a liposomal liquid form (LiQsorb), CoQ10 in cylcodextrin complex form (Hydro Q sorb), and ubiquinol/QH in a liposomal liquid form (LiQH). The company also provides CoQ10 and ubiquinol ingredients for topical products (Derma-Q and DermaQNOL).

For the future, Mr. Chopra sees the line of demarcation between the nutraceuticals industry and the pharmaceuticals industry getting less distinct as drug companies edge their way into nutraceutical territory. Should this become more common, Mr. Chopra said, “I just hope the field is kept level for all players.”

He is also worried about the trend of combining nutraceuticals with drugs—i.e. Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage—due to the confusion it might cause. This is because “the product carries both a Drug Facts panel and a Supplement Facts panel,” he said.

Despite these concerns, Mr. Chopra sees a bright future ahead for the nutraceuticals industry in general. “The industry is on the verge of undergoing a huge transformation—for the better, I must say,” he commented. “The long awaited release of GMPs for dietary supplements by the FDA will lead to im­proved quality products, and strict enforcement of the regulations by the agency will help keep the bad actors out of our industry.”—R.W.

Tishcon Corporation
30 New York Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590-5910
Telephone: 516-333-3050
Fax: 516-338-0829
E-mail: qgel@tishcon.com
Website: www.tishcon.com