KETs Impact: SME instrument brings innovative food supplement to market

The recent SusChem White paper ‘Impact: Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) in Horizon Europe’ included a number of success stories highlighting publicly funded innovation involving KETs and the SusChem News blog is featuring a selection of these fruitful 'SusChem inspired' initiatives.

KETs are technologies selected for their ability to address global challenges, support the development of new products, and stimulate economic growth.

Sustainable chemistry is essential to the technological advance of KETs including advanced materials, advanced manufacturing technologies, industrial biotechnology, micro and nanoelectronics, nanotechnology and photonics. SusChem's key enabling technologies provide the critical building blocks for the solutions needed to achieve a sustainable low carbon circular economy. You can find out more here.

Our penultimate KETs success story number focuses on a project, LIFEOMEGA, funded under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument to develop an innovative food supplement consisting of a high concentrated emulsion of the Omega-3 fatty acid EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid). Omega-3 is utilised as a treatment in psoriasis, arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic inflammatory, cancer, high blood Triglycerides (TGs), retinal diseases and cardiovascular failure.

LIFEOMEGA Project

Developing an innovative highly concentrated Omega 3 food supplement

EU SME Instrument supports breakthrough innovation project with market-creating potential

Solutex is an innovative SME continuously investing in research and innovation to offer high quality products for nutritional and pharmaceutical industries. Solutex is in the forefront of research in Omega-3 to improve the quality of life and nutrition of cancer patients. LIFEOMEGA-cancer, considered as one chemotherapy essential nutrient co-adjuvant, is one of the latest products. The scale up of technology to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8, has been made possible with EU SME funding. 

How was the breakthrough innovation achieved?

For an SME, partnerships with both RTOs and large companies is key to long-term success. Solutex has a partnership for a commercial agreement with one the most important pharmaceutical groups in Spain. Collaboration with hospitals and clinics has been essential for the success of the project and to carry out the clinical trials needed. After the preliminary research, carried out with company’s own resources, Solutex successfully applied for a Phase-I SME Instrument, and for a Phase-II SME instrument. The funding received has been fundamental to develop the final product and the scale-up.

Impact

• The social impact for cancer patients’ treatments is very important. With the new product, the quality of life of cancer patients is improved. Chemotherapy effects become tolerable and hospitalisation time is reduced. 
• The new product is an essential nutrient adjuvant in chemotherapy. The medical benefits of the product are appreciated. Preliminary findings show that Omega-3 supplement increases chemotherapy effectiveness. 

With the funding received, the time to the market was reduced by about three years, a parameter of paramount importance for an SME. Additionally, it brings the opportunity to open to new markets and new partnerships in the pharma and nutraceutical sectors. 

More information

LIFEOMEGA: Innovative highly concentrated Omega-3 Food Supplement (Horizon 2020 / SME Instrument 1 GA number 683658)

LIFEOMEGA: Innovative highly concentrated Omega-3 Specialized Nutrition Product (Horizon 2020 / SME Instrument 2 GA number 755889)

Read the SusChem White Paper ‘Impact: Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) in Horizon Europe’