By revitalising natural energy production processes in the body, Mitocholine’s solution presents a disruptive opportunity to restore metabolism and extend healthspan. We learn about how the new technology platform aims to change the way humans age.
Sponsored by Mitocholine
There exists a significant gap between the average number of years someone can expect to live (77.5 years, on average, in the US1), and the number of years they can expect to live in full health (63.9 years2). It follows that the desire to extend healthspan – ie, the number of years an individual is healthy without chronic or debilitating disease – is today a priority for consumers, alongside the focus of scientific efforts across the globe.
While most research and investment has hitherto concentrated on pharmaceutical products and devices, Mitocholine Ltd has developed today’s only nutritional solution platform dedicated to improving human metabolic health by restoring the functioning of our natural biological process. “That all starts with revitalising natural energy production processes in the body,” notes Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, Katherine Oglesby, who outlines the twin aims of the company as “Improving mitochondrial health by synergistically driving natural energy production in the form of ATP [adenosine triphosphate]”, and “Unlocking the insulin receptor and driving energy metabolism”.
Within this context, adopting a nutritional approach – that is, putting Mitocholine’s solutions in food, beverage and dietary supplements – presents a disruptive opportunity to restore metabolism for all people, adding life to years and not just years to life. “It’s a lock and key nutritional system for restoring the body’s metabolic health,” remarks the MD.
Celebrating a decade of development since the company’s inception, and now entering the market with the tagline ‘Age Later’, technology-driven health ingredient innovator Mitocholine wants to “change the way humans age”, notes Oglesby, by applying multi-disciplinary science to address nutritional deficiencies in the modern diet. “Mitocholine’s vision is for our ingredient solutions to reach as many consumers as possible, at an affordable price, in a range of foods and other nutritional products that are consumed daily.”
At the heart of energy production are mitochondrial substrates, including succinate. And at the heart of Mitocholine’s technology platform is the uniquely bioactive choline salt dicholine succinate (DISU). First synthesised by one of Mitocholine’s founders – a scientist studying mechanisms of insulin sensitivity and metabolic signalling pathways – DISU is described as “a choline salt like no other” by Oglesby.
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Dr Larisa Andreeva – a career mitochondrial researcher and technology transfer specialist who discovered the aforementioned research and patent protection on dicholine succinate – told us that “immediately after reading my co-founder’s patent on a special, bioactive choline salt, I understood the powerful potential of bringing our insights together.”
DISU’s form is unique to choline salts in that it has both a bioactive anion and bioactive cation, which sensitises the insulin receptor isoform in neuron-rich tissues, including the brain, Andreeva advises, adding that it works together in combination with Nicotinamide, another required mitochondrial substrate.
Mitocholine’s first platform solution works synergistically to restore the natural, primary pathway of brain energy production. “Our ongoing, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial is testing this hypothesis by studying Mitocholine’s impact on important cognitive outcomes when taken daily over 16 weeks,” reveals Oglesby.
While Mitocholine’s initial platform is focused on energy production in the brain (which, perhaps surprisingly, requires a hefty 20% of the body’s overall energy use), all cells in the body require ATP to function properly. This means that Mitocholine’s technology has the potential to be expanded to other body systems like the musculoskeletal system, and it is presently being studied in another human trial with such a focus.
As Mitocholine enters the market and celebrates commercialisation of its new platform of ingredients, Oglesby tells us how this pioneering startup has been able to achieve this sizeable feat in a relatively short space of time.
“Our co-founder had synthesised DISU in the laboratory and had the insight needed to establish larger scale and more industrially suitable production. We therefore worked with a full-service technology developer to extend the resources of our R&D team in support of regulatory registrations and proof of concept on a scalable manufacturing process,” she tells us.
“What we bring to market is a patent-protected process that is greener and more sustainable than standard choline salts, requiring no organic solvents and less overall processing,” continues Oglesby, adding that Mitocholine will have kg quantities available by December and MT quantities in Q1 2025.
In terms of accreditation and applications, Mitocholine has already received self-affirmed GRAS and a letter from the European Commission stating a determination of ‘non-novel’ composition from EFSA, with FDA GRAS set to follow. The company has formulated its liquid product into beverages, gels, and table-top supplements, while its solid forms – for dry blending, and capsules/tablets – are currently being optimised for the market.
Focusing on the CPG and B2B markets, Oglesby says that interest has thus far been strong. “This is not surprising, given that we bring the only GRAS and ‘non-novel food’, easy-to-formulate solution for mitochondrial energy production and major cognitive health benefits,” she points out. “We see great promise in terms of benefits for muscle and many more tissues, due to our ability to improve metabolic processes. Moreover, our patent portfolio offers strong market protection for consumer product companies who work with us.”
Mitocholine is currently accepting outreach for market partnerships at: [email protected]
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