Supplement Manufacturing APAC

The effectiveness of many functional ingredients depends on more than the ingredients themselves. The intended biological function is also influenced by their molecular structure, stability and ability to reach the right place in the body. Many naturally occurring ingredients with well-documented health benefits are highly sensitive to heat, light and oxidation, or suffer from poor water solubility and low bioavailability, limiting their effectiveness. For researchers and manufacturers, preserving molecular integrity is essential to ensuring ingredients deliver as expected.

CycloChem Bio has developed cyclodextrin-based (CD) inclusion technologies, using α-, β- and γ- CDs to support consistent ingredient performance. The naturally derived cyclic sugar molecules are produced from maize starch, and are characterized by a unique, ring-shaped structure containing nano-sized cavities capable of encapsulating other molecules. These cavities enclose delicate functional ingredients and prevent them from degrading.

The technology significantly improves stability, extends shelf life and enhances formulation flexibility without altering the original biological properties of the encapsulated ingredient. It also improves the water dispersibility and bioavailability of compounds that otherwise exhibit poor absorption. Even while functioning as an inclusion complex, α-CD also serves as a functional dietary fiber, adding nutritional value.

CycloChem Bio has also developed Fresh Oligo Powder Technology, which applies the same scientific principles to convert natural materials into powders that retain their biological activity and freshness. The combination expands formulation possibilities for manufacturers serving the nutritional, beauty and functional food markets.

“Understanding molecular structure allows us to unlock biological functions that conventional ingredient development often overlooks," says Prof. Dr. Keiji Terao, president and CEO.

Dr. Terao is an organic chemist whose distinguished career has been dedicated to CD research and functional ingredient chemistry. Drawing on decades of research, scientific publications and human clinical studies, he evaluates every functional ingredient from the perspective of precise molecular structure. That chemistry-first mindset guides CycloChem Bio to identify how molecules behave inside the body and translate that knowledge into commercially viable ingredient solutions.

Engineering Function at the Molecular Level

Central to this approach is its ability to match different CDs with different biological challenges. α-CD stands out as a water-soluble dietary fiber with applications spanning gut health, metabolic wellness and functional nutrition. Many dietary fibers and prebiotics available today consist of mixtures of compounds that do not get completely digested. But α-CD as a single molecule possesses a precisely defined molecular structure that makes it completely indigestible by human digestive enzymes. The entire amount reaches the large intestine intact, where it can be efficiently utilized by specific beneficial gut microorganisms that are useful for beauty and wellness.

“I believe 100 percent delivery and utilization is what truly defines the value of a real prebiotic,” says Dr. Terao.

Once it reaches the colon, α-CD selectively supports the growth and activity of beneficial bacteroides, promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate. Growing research has highlighted butyrate's role in maintaining gut health, regulating immune function and supporting metabolic wellness. This expanding body of evidence strengthens the case for α-CD as a functional dietary fiber.

CycloChem Bio has also explored α-CD's potential to address lifestyle-related health concerns. Research demonstrated that α-CD can help suppress post-meal blood glucose spikes. It also reduces small dense LDL, the cholesterol particle increasingly associated with the development of arteriosclerosis. By targeting this specific form of LDL instead of lipoprotein cholesterol alone, it supports a more precise approach to cardiovascular health.

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is becoming a center for new ideas in medicines, food science, beauty products, farming and special chemicals. It is creating a need for advanced technologies to make products better, like cycloencapsulation. Many industries in APAC are working on making their products more stable, precise and efficient. Cycloencapsulation technologies are very helpful here because they protect and optimize ingredients. The technologies use molecular structures often based on cyclodextrin to wrap active ingredients in a protective layer.

The manufacturing sector in APAC is growing fast, which helps make the ingredients more soluble, available to the body, stable on shelves and released in a controlled way. Many active compounds in healthcare, nutrition, cosmetics and agriculture have problems. They can oxidize, evaporate, break down or have water solubility and poor absorption. Cycloencapsulation helps solve these problems and protects ingredients.

Technologies Improving Product Development

The main benefit of cycloencapsulation technologies is that they help protect compounds when companies make, store and use them. It is important in factories in the APAC region, where they make a lot of products. Cycloencapsulation technologies help make ingredients mix better with water. The latest technologies help these ingredients mix better and work efficiently. Manufacturers can make the ingredients release slowly or when they need to, as it helps the products work better and more consistently.

Cycloencapsulation technologies help these products work better by improving how bodies absorb the ingredients. Cycloencapsulation technologies help with ingredients that smell bad or taste bitter. Cycloencapsulation technologies give product developers options. They can use ingredients in complex products and still keep them stable and working well. As research and product innovation in APAC keep getting better, cycloencapsulation technologies are becoming tools.

Cycloencapsulation technologies are helping companies in the APAC region make products. They protect the ingredients, help them work efficiently and make it easier to develop new products. Cycloencapsulation is very valuable for protecting and optimizing active compounds. The technologies use molecular structures to encapsulate active ingredients. They focus on improving product stability, delivery precision and formulation efficiency.

Increasing Demand for Cycloencapsulation Technologies in the APAC Region

The demand for cycloencapsulation technologies is really taking off in the APAC region. It is because the region is seeing a lot of growth in areas like healthcare, food innovation, cosmetics and agricultural modernization. Pharmaceutical growth is a reason for this demand, and the APAC region is getting bigger when it comes to making drugs and doing research on treatments. It means they need technologies that can help make these treatments work better and get to where they need to go in the body.

The demand for cycloencapsulation technologies is also growing because of the functional food sector. The cosmetics and personal care industry is also helping the market for cycloencapsulation technologies grow. AI may speed up the process of making formulations by making it easier to model how things work together, predict how things will be released, and develop new products more quickly. The region is a market for beauty and skincare products, and has ingredients that get to where they need to go.

“Cycloencapsulation technologies are helping companies in the APAC region make products. They protect the ingredients, help them work efficiently and make it easier to develop new products.”

Agricultural modernization is another reason why cycloencapsulation technologies are in demand. The technologies help get nutrients, crop protection compounds and bioactive inputs to where they need to go. So it is the combination of businesses growing, people wanting products, and scientists coming up with new ideas that is driving the demand for cycloencapsulation technologies in the APAC region.

Emerging Prospects for Cycloencapsulation Technologies

The future of cycloencapsulation technologies in the APAC region will probably be shaped by how precisely things are formulated, how advanced the materials are, and how smart the manufacturing systems are. The APAC region is in a position to become a major center for coming up with new and innovative formulations. Nanotechnology will likely make the delivery of things precise and the encapsulation process more efficient.

Cycloencapsulation technologies, like release systems, may become more complex. In the future, cycloencapsulation platforms may be able to release things when they are triggered by things like temperature, how acidic something is or what is going on in the body. Manufacturing will become more automated, which will make it easier to make quantities of things, keep the quality consistent and reduce costs. Companies will still need to know a lot about formulation science, molecular engineering and how to make things work well for use.

Cycloencapsulation technologies will keep helping the Asia Pacific region come up with innovative things by making products that are more effective, stable and different from others. The focus will stay on making the ingredients work better, delivering them precisely and making products that are valuable for a long time. Cycloencapsulation technologies are important for developing new and innovative formulations and products that can compete with others.

Dr Sarah Tregenza BSc(Hons) PhD MAICD is an accomplished Medical Affairs leader with over 18 years of oncology experience across academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. With a PhD in cancer biology and expertise spanning solid and hematologic tumours, she has led product launches and life cycle strategies at GSK, Novartis, and Pierre Fabre. Currently Director of Medical Affairs Oncology APAC at Pierre Fabre, she combines scientific depth with leadership, communication, and cross-functional team expertise.

In an exclusive interview with Life Sciences Review APAC, Sarah shares her valuable insights into cancer biology research and the pressing challenge of staying ahead in the rapidly advancing field of oncology.

Trends to Combat Information Overload

Over the past decade, the pharmaceutical landscape has undergone significant transformation, marked by an explosion of new treatments and an accelerating pace of innovation. Part of our role in the pharmaceutical industry is to help doctors stay on top of the changes relevant to their clinical practice. In this effort, there has been increased digitization, with information required to be tailored for, and presented across, multiple channels, such as emails, newsletters, websites, portals, and apps, according to individual doctor’s changing preferences. We have also had to ensure the information is available when the doctor’s need it, i.e. on demand, or timed for release when most relevant. Other trends include a shift to increased personalization of the information, so it is targeted to the specific stakeholders needs. These changes ensure doctor’s can stay up-to-date with the treatment information they need in the limited amount of time they have, i.e. the right information, at the right time, in the right format.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly valuable tool in this effort, helping all to stay up to date with the fast pace and large volumes of new information released by summarizing all relevant information in the area of interest. Pharma can add value by providing AI applications that assist physicians in distilling and understanding key datasets aligned with their clinical interests. But as the saying goes “garbage in garbage out”, the quality of information AI can provide is only as good as the information sources the AI tool uses. We need to ensure AI applications used are only relying on high quality reputable validated data sources.

Addressing Evolving Challenges in Oncology

A critical factor in oncology today is ensuring patients are tested for relevant mutations. This is best done early on in their diagnosis, and in some cases retested throughout the course of their disease, so they can receive the most appropriate treatment at each stage in line with their unique cancer biology to give the best outcomes. Pierre Fabre’s current innovative oncology portfolio in APAC supports patients with a particular mutation in melanoma and colorectal cancer (CRC). We are also expanding into the lung cancer space, a particularly urgent need in the APAC region where lung cancer prevalence accounts for nearly 50% of the global lung cancer burden, and where some mutations occur at double the rate of eastern populations. Colorectal cancer, especially early-onset CRC, is also on the rise in the APAC region.

A key difficulty lies in keeping pace with the ever-expanding range of tumor types and their corresponding treatments as we uncover new layers of understanding to cancer biology. This complexity also impacts the drug development process, including budget, timelines, and speed to market. Phase III registration trials can take up to 4 years to complete. By the time a trial concludes, the standard of care may have already shifted. This can render the trial’s comparator arm no longer relevant, making it necessary to conduct further studies, such as retrospective indirect comparisons and/or real-world studies, including registry or retrospective data analysis, to demonstrate a new drug’s value.

Navigating this dynamic environment also involves combating misinformation. In a time when information is abundant but not always accurate, e.g. ask “doctor” Google or ChatGPT, our responsibility as a pharmaceutical organization is to serve as a trusted source of reliable information. The gold standard of information for pharmaceutical drugs is Phase III trial data published in a reputable high impact peer-reviewed scientific journal. This standard of information is not necessarily available to reflect all patient cases, including rarer disease subtypes, or for newer compounds and/or novel compound combinations. However, doctors are still interested in these rare cases which they have to treat, and in upcoming compounds or unique compound combinations. In these instances, we can still reactively provide relevant scientific information, e.g. published Ph I/II results, conference posters/abstracts/presentations, or case studies, we just caveat the limitations of the information as such.

Local Adaptation

To register drugs in the APAC region, we typically adapt one of the global regulatory dossiers to meet the local country regulatory submission standards. It’s often sufficient to obtain approval in APAC countries when there is European or FDA approval for the same indication/drug. However, regulatory authorities often want to know if people from their country were included in the registration trial. If not, we sometimes need to submit, or agree to collect, additional data on how the medicines affect people in that country to obtain approval.

Thriving Through Emotional Intelligence and Insight

My advice to young professionals entering this field is to prioritize emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. In an era dominated by technology, maintaining genuine human connections is more important than ever. The ability to anticipate, sense, and interpret stakeholder needs, even when they aren’t explicitly stated, will remain a critical skill that technology can’t replicate. This involves recognizing different communication styles and preferences and tailoring the type and timing of information delivery accordingly. Meeting stakeholder needs consistently and thoughtfully is increasingly important factor in determining success in today’s healthcare and pharmaceutical landscape.