Elysium Health

Last updated
Elysium Health
Type Private
Industry Dietary supplements
Founded2014;9 years ago (2014)
Founders
  • Leonard Guarente
  • Eric Marcotulli
  • Dan Alminana
Headquarters
Website elysiumhealth.com

Elysium Health is an American manufacturer of dietary supplements based in New York City.

Contents

History

Elysium Health was founded in 2014 by Leonard Guarente, Dan Alminana, and Eric Marcotulli. [1]

In 2015, Elysium introduced its first product, Basis, which contains nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene. [2] [3] [4]

In December 2016, Elysium received an investment of $20 million in Series B funding. [5] [6]

In 2019, Elysium introduced a test called Index that uses epigenetic analysis on saliva samples to estimate biological age. [7] [8]

In October 2021, Elysium launched a supplement called Format, which is associated with anti-aging and immune system support. [9] [10]

Criticism

The company has been criticized for using its advisory board to lend credibility to its product and for heavily marketing their product on social media. [11] [12] [2] [13]

Litigation

Elysium originally bought the ingredients in Basis from ChromaDex, which as of December 2016, sold the two ingredients to other supplement companies that also marketed products containing them. [2] [13] [14] The two companies had an agreement under which Elysium Health did not have to acknowledge ChromaDex as the source of the ingredients, but then after Elysium recruited the VP of business development from ChromaDex and reportedly stopped paying ChromaDex, ChromaDex sued Elysium and the information became public. [15]

In September 2018, Dartmouth College and ChromaDex sued Elysium for infringing on patents for nicotinamide riboside. [16] In August 2020, W.R. Grace and Company also sued Elysium for infringing on their patents for crystalline nicotinamide riboside. [17] In September 2021, the claims by Dartmouth and ChromaDex were dismissed by a U.S. district judge, essentially invalidating their patents. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niacin</span> Organic compound and a form of vitamin B3

Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, is an organic compound and a vitamer of vitamin B3, an essential human nutrient. It can be manufactured by plants and animals from the amino acid tryptophan. Niacin is obtained in the diet from a variety of whole and processed foods, with highest contents in fortified packaged foods, meat, poultry, red fish such as tuna and salmon, lesser amounts in nuts, legumes and seeds. Niacin as a dietary supplement is used to treat pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency. Signs and symptoms of pellagra include skin and mouth lesions, anemia, headaches, and tiredness. Many countries mandate its addition to wheat flour or other food grains, thereby reducing the risk of pellagra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dietary supplement</span> Product providing additional nutrients

A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources, or that are synthetic. The classes of nutrient compounds in supplements include vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, and amino acids. Dietary supplements can also contain substances that have not been confirmed as being essential to life, and so are not nutrients per se, but are marketed as having a beneficial biological effect, such as plant pigments or polyphenols. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients, such as collagen from chickens or fish for example. These are also sold individually and in combination, and may be combined with nutrient ingredients. The European Commission has also established harmonized rules to help insure that food supplements are safe and appropriately labeled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutraceutical</span> Class of nutritional product

A nutraceutical is a pharmaceutical alternative which claims physiological benefits. In the US, nutraceuticals are largely unregulated, as they exist in the same category as dietary supplements and food additives by the FDA, under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The word "nutraceutical" is a portmanteau term, blending the words "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNC (company)</span> U.S.-based health and wellness retailer

GNC Holdings, LLC is a retail company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It specializes in health and nutrition related products, including vitamins, supplements, minerals, herbs, sports nutrition, diet, and energy products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinpocetine</span> Chemical compound

Vinpocetine is a synthetic derivative of the vinca alkaloid vincamine, differing by the removal of a hydroxyl group. Vincamine is extracted from either the seeds of Voacanga africana or the leaves of Vinca minor.

Hydroxycut is a brand of dietary supplements that is marketed as a weight loss aid. Hydroxycut was originally developed and manufactured by MuscleTech Research and Development; MuscleTech was sold to Iovate Health Sciences in 2003–2004 and declared bankruptcy in 2005; Iovate continues to use MuscleTech as a brand to market Hydroxycut.

Chinese patent medicine are herbal medicines in Traditional Chinese medicine, modernized into a ready-to-use form such as tablets, oral solutions or dry suspensions, as opposed to herbs that require cooking.

<i>Hoodia gordonii</i> Species of succulent plant

Hoodia gordonii, also known as Bushman’s hat, is a leafless spiny succulent plant supposed to have therapeutic properties in folk medicine. It grows naturally in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. The species became internationally known and threatened by collectors, after a marketing campaign falsely claimed that it was an appetite suppressant for weight loss. The flowers smell like rotten meat and are pollinated mainly by flies. The indigenous San people of the Namib desert call this plant ǁhoba.

Protandim is a herbal dietary supplement marketed with unsupported claims that it can treat a number of medical conditions. The product is a patented mix of five herbal ingredients and sold by LifeVantage Corporation, a Utah-based multi-level marketing company. The manufacturers of Protandim claim it can prevent or cure a wide variety of medical conditions. In 2017, LifeVantage was issued a warning letter by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding illegal advertising claims on the company's websites suggesting that Protandim can help to cure various ailments, including cancer and diabetes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omega-3 acid ethyl esters</span>

Omega-3-acid ethyl esters are a mixture of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid and ethyl docosahexaenoic acid, which are ethyl esters of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil. Together with dietary changes, they are used to treat high blood triglycerides which may reduce the risk of pancreatitis. They are generally less preferred than statins, and use is not recommended by NHS Scotland as the evidence does not support a decreased risk of heart disease. Omega-3-acid ethyl esters are taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetildenafil</span> Chemical compound

Acetildenafil (hongdenafil) is a synthetic drug which acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. It is an analog of sildenafil (Viagra) which has been detected in numerous different brands of "herbal aphrodisiac" products sold in convenience stores that claim to boost libido and alleviate erectile dysfunction.

Charles Brenner is the inaugural Alfred E Mann Family Foundation Chair of the Department of Diabetes & Cancer Metabolism at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope National Medical Center. Brenner previously held the Roy J. Carver Chair in Biochemistry and was head of biochemistry at the University of Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methylhexanamine</span> Chemical compound

Methylhexanamine is an indirect sympathomimetic drug invented and developed by Eli Lilly and Company and marketed as an inhaled nasal decongestant from 1948 until it was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfoaildenafil</span> Chemical compound

Sulfoaildenafil (thioaildenafil) is a synthetic drug that is a structural analog of sildenafil (Viagra). It was first reported in 2005, and it is not approved by any health regulation agency. Like sildenafil, sulfoaildenafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor.

ChromaDex is a dietary supplement and food ingredient company based in Los Angeles, California founded in 1999 that is publicly traded on the NASDAQ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotinamide riboside</span> Chemical compound

Nicotinamide riboside (NR, SR647) is a pyridine-nucleoside and a form of vitamin B3. It functions as a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, through a two-step and a three-step pathway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotinamide mononucleotide</span> Chemical compound

Nicotinamide mononucleotide is a nucleotide derived from ribose, nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside and niacin. In humans, several enzymes use NMN to generate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). In mice, it has been proposed that NMN is absorbed via the small intestine within 10 minutes of oral uptake and converted to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) through the Slc12a8 transporter. However, this observation has been challenged, and the matter remains unsettled.

Vitamin B<sub>3</sub> Class of chemically related vitamers

Vitamin B3, colloquially referred to as niacin, is a vitamin family that includes three forms, or vitamers: niacin (nicotinic acid), nicotinamide (niacinamide), and nicotinamide riboside. All three forms of vitamin B3 are converted within the body to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is required for human life and people are unable to make it within their bodies without either vitamin B3 or tryptophan. Nicotinamide riboside was identified as a form of vitamin B3 in 2004.

ASEA is a privately owned international direct selling and multi-level marketing company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, United States. It has previously been known as Medical Immune Research, Inc. and ASEA, Inc.

References

  1. Friend, Tad (April 3, 2017). "Silicon Valley's quest to live forever". The New Yorker.
  2. 1 2 3 Wallace, Benjamin (August 23, 2016). "An MIT scientist claims that this pill is the fountain of youth". New York Magazine.
  3. Zhang, Sarah. "The Weird Business Behind a Trendy "Anti-Aging" Pill". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. Weintraub, Karen (February 3, 2015). "The anti-aging pill". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  5. "Anti-aging pill startup Elysium Health inks at least $20 million in Series B funding". TechCrunch.
  6. "Anti-aging pill maker Elysium Health raises $20 million". December 6, 2016 via Reuters.
  7. Harris, Ainsley (2019-11-04). "How old are you really? Elysium Health will tell you—for $500". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  8. Corbyn, Zoë (2022-05-07). "Morgan Levine: 'Only 10-30% of our lifespan is estimated to be due to genetics'". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  9. Marks, Taylor. "Format: Elysium's New Supplement for the Aging Immune System". AGEIST. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  10. Lieberman, Maryam. "The Best Beauty Supplements of 2021". W Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  11. Weintraub, Karen (January 6, 2017). "Critics blast star-studded advisory board of anti-aging company". MIT Technology Review.
  12. Vinluan, Frank (6 December 2016). "First clinical trial done, Elysium lands $20M for health supplements". Xconomy.
  13. 1 2 Zhang, Sarah (July 6, 2016). "The weird business behind a trendy "anti-aging" pill". Wired.
  14. Lowe, Derek (25 April 2016). "Subtle changes can be yours, for fifty dollars a month". In the Pipeline.
  15. Buhr, Sarah (January 16, 2017). "A new lawsuit alleges anti-aging startup Elysium Health hasn't paid its sole supplier". TechCrunch.
  16. Schultz, Hank. "ChromaDex, Elysium lock horns over outcome of appeals court decision on nicotinamide riboside patents". NutraIngredients-USA. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  17. Yasiejko, Christopher. "W.R. Grace Sues Elysium for Patent Damages on Dietary Supplement". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  18. "Jury verdict tilts toward Elysium Health in dispute with ChromaDex, court records show". Natural Products INSIDER. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-10-30.