Nestlé Health Science acquires stake in medical food firm Accera

Nestlé Health Science has purchased an undisclosed stake in Accera, a privately-held US-based company that is involved in the development and commercialisation of medical foods for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Nestlé’s venture capital fund Inventages first invested in Accera in 2004, and now with the new transaction, Nestlé has become the largest minority shareholder in the company.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Through this acquisition, Nestlé aims to support the clinical trials of Accera’s key medical food brand Axona, which has been developed for the clinical dietary management of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

The acquisition will also allow Nestlé to strengthen the commercial capabilities and expand the geographic footprint of Axona.

Axona, which has already been launched in the US market, is currently prescribed to nearly 30,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease, claimed Nestle.

The ongoing clinical trials of Axona have revealed that the product is metabolised by the liver to release ketone bodies – the naturally occurring compounds which can be used by the brain as an alternative energy source.

This leads to improved memory and cognitive function in mild to moderate AD patients.

Nestlé Health Science president and CEO Luis Cantarell said the company’s stake in Accera is part of the company’s plan to strengthen its brain health portfolio.

"Axona is an innovative medical food with a well understood mode of action and offers the potential for personalised nutrition for AD patients," Cantarell added.

Nestlé Health Science, a fully owned subsidiary of Swiss food firm Nestlé, is involved in the development of science-based nutritional solutions for the prevention and management of disease, especially in the areas of gastrointestinal health, metabolic health and brain health.

In 2011, Nestlé Health Science acquired US firm Prometheus Laboratories, which develops tests and drugs to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal diseases, and UK-based CM&D Pharma, which produces chewing gums for the treatment of kidney disease.

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Image: Axona is a prescription medical food intended for the clinical dietary management of the metabolic processes associated with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Nestlé.