IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChromaDex Corp. (NASDAQ:CDXC), an innovator of science-based, proprietary health and wellness consumer products and ingredient technologies that promote health longevity announced today its new partnership with Hong Kong based retailer, A.S. Watson, for the launch of the U.S. made TRU NIAGEN™ dietary supplement (www.truniagen.com) in Asia.
With over 6,000 stores in 11 Asian and European markets, Watsons is the leading health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe. On September 15, Watsons will launch TRU NIAGEN™ in over 100 stores in Hong Kong and online in eStore at www.watsons.com.hk.
Frank Jaksch, Jr., CEO and Co-founder of ChromaDex stated, “We’re excited to have a premier partner in Watsons, for the launch of TRU NIAGEN™ in Asia. They are globally renowned for offering a market-leading product range, and exceptional personalized consultation to educate their consumers.”
Ms. Diane Cheung, General Manager of Watsons Hong Kong shared, “Our innovative consumers are looking for nutritional support to help them age better. Watsons prides itself on bringing breakthrough health and nutrition technologies to its consumers. TRU NIAGEN™ is a proven, safe and effective way to significantly boost NAD+, which may help our consumers achieve health longevity.”
NAD+ plays an essential role in cellular metabolism and maintaining healthy cellular function. Published research suggests that declines in NAD+ are linked to a variety of challenges associated with aging.
Robert Fried, President, and Chief Strategy Officer of ChromaDex, added, “This critical milestone is the first step in executing our broader expansion plans for TRU NIAGEN™. With the science continually reinforcing just how important NAD+ and this nutrient are to health, we recognize our responsibility to distribute it widely, safely and with the finest partners around the globe.”
Soon after the premiere in Hong Kong, Watsons plans to launch TRU NIAGEN™ in additional retail outlets in Macau and in other Asian countries in the near future. TRU NIAGEN™ will be available with a single bottle priced at HK$388. Annual subscriptions and multi bottle packs will also be offered online soon.
To date, ChromaDex has invested millions in analytical research, toxicology studies and human clinical trials supporting the safety and efficacy of TRU NIAGEN™. It has initiated over 120 collaborative studies with leading universities and research institutions such as the National Institute of Aging, MIT and the Scripps Research Institute, representing an estimated $50+ million in additional nicotinamide riboside research.
For more information on ChromaDex, visit: https://www.chromadex.com/.
About NAD+
NAD+ activates cellular metabolism and energy production within the cell’s “power stations,” the mitochondria. Our mitochondria are constantly working to convert the food we eat into the energy necessary to power all bodily systems as well as help us stay healthy. The challenge is that both NAD+ levels and mitochondrial functions decline as we age. This reduction in NAD+ is believed by scientists to be linked to a wide variety of age-related challenges.
About TRU NIAGEN™
TRU NIAGEN™ is a branded dietary supplement brought to market by key nicotinamide riboside innovator and patent holder, ChromaDex. NIAGEN® nicotinamide riboside (NR), also supplied by ChromaDex, is the feature ingredient in TRU NIAGEN™. Research published in Nature Communications demonstrates it is clinically proven to boost NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) levels, which decline with age. Only NIAGEN® nicotinamide riboside has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status and a New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN), both reviewed by FDA.
About ChromaDex:
ChromaDex leverages its complementary business units to discover, acquire, develop and commercialize patented and proprietary health and wellness consumer products and nutritional ingredient technologies that promote healthy longevity. In addition to our consumer product and ingredient technologies units, we also have business units focused on natural product fine chemicals (known as "phytochemicals"), and product regulatory and safety consulting. As a result of our relationships with leading universities and research institutions, we are able to discover and license early stage, IP-backed ingredient technologies. We then utilize our in-house chemistry, regulatory and safety consulting business units to develop commercially viable ingredients. Our consumer product and ingredient portfolio are backed with clinical and scientific research, as well as extensive IP protection. Our portfolio of patented ingredient technologies includes NIAGEN® nicotinamide riboside; pTeroPure® pterostilbene; PURENERGY®, a caffeine-pTeroPure® co-crystal; IMMULINA™, a spirulina extract; and AnthOrigin®, anthocyanins derived from a domestically-produced, water-extracted purple corn husk. To learn more about ChromaDex, please visit www.ChromaDex.com.
About Watsons:
Watsons is Asia’s leading health and beauty retailer, currently operating over 6,000 stores – more than 1,500 of which are pharmacies, in 11 Asian and European markets, including China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey and Ukraine. Watsons operates over 220 stores in Hong Kong and Macau, of which over 50 have in-store pharmacies, making Watsons the No. 1 Pharmacy Network in Hong Kong.
Watsons has a professional team of pharmacists, dieticians, Chinese medicine practitioners, health & fitness advisors, beauty consultants, an experienced mother & baby advisor and a nurse. They are devoted to serving customers, and offer the longest pharmacy operating hours in Hong Kong.
Watsons continually sets the highest standards in the health, wellness and beauty market, providing personalized advice and counseling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. Since 2009, Watsons has been the No. 1 Pharmacy/ Drugstore brand in Asia*. In Europe, Watsons is also the leading Health & Beauty retailer in Ukraine.
*Campaign Asia-Pacific/ Nielsen’s “Asia's Top 1,000 Brands” Online Study 2017 of over 6,000 respondents across 13 markets in Asia Pacific region
About A.S. Watson Group:
Established in Hong Kong in 1841, A.S. Watson Group is the largest international health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe with over 13,500 stores in 24 markets. Each year, over three billion customers and members shop with A.S. Watson’s 13 retail brands, both in stores and online.
In Hong Kong, A.S. Watson operates more than 600 stores under four retail brands – Watsons, PARKnSHOP, FORTRESS, and Watson’s Wine. In addition, A.S. Watson manufactures and distributes high quality drinking water brand Watsons Water, as well as the famous juice drinks Mr. Juicy and Sunkist.
For the fiscal year 2016, A.S. Watson Group recorded revenue of HKD151.5 billion. A.S. Watson has over 130,000 employees worldwide, including 12,900 in Hong Kong.
A.S. Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has five core businesses ‐ ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, energy and telecommunications in over 50 countries.
Please visit www.aswatson.com for more in-depth information about A.S. Watson Group and its brands. You may also stay in touch with A.S. Watson via its digital presence (eCommerce, social media, mobile app & more); more details are at http://www.aswatson.com/our-customers/digitalasw/.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to ChromaDex and ChromaDex’s business within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements related to the timing and expansion plans of launching TRU NIAGEN™ in Asia, the ability of ChromaDex to execute on expanding TRU NIAGEN™ sales, whether science will reinforce how important NAD+ and TRU NIAGEN™ are to health, the health benefits of TRU NIAGEN™, including whether TRU NIAGEN™ can help consumers achieve health longevity, the amount ChromaDex will invest in trials supporting the safety and efficacy of TRU NIAGEN™, the price of TRU NIAGEN™ to consumers in Asia and whether a reduction in NAD+ is linked to age-related challenges. Statements that are not a description of historical facts constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "potential", "possible", "probable", "believes", "seeks", "may", "will", "should", "could" or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. More detailed information about ChromaDex and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in ChromaDex's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, ChromaDex's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted by ChromaDex to the SEC, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and actual results may differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and ChromaDex undertakes no obligation to revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.