Did you hear the news?
Reliv now holds the exclusive rights to lunasin! The announcement came on opening night of the Reliv 25 Conference in Orlando, just hours after the deal was finalized.
The basics: Reliv International has entered into an exclusive license for the intellectual property of Soy Labs, LLC related to the nutritional ingredient lunasin. The license covers two issued patents and several patent applications related to lunasin and soy-related peptides, proprietary information and manufacturing processes. Further, the arrangement allows certain Soy Labs employees to join the Reliv corporate staff.
So what does this mean?
“This is a major step for Reliv and elevates our company to a unique status in the nutrition industry,” said President Ryan Montgomery. “For the first time we have the rights to an ingredient in its entirety, from the extraction process to the patented mechanisms of action within the body. And lunasin isn’t just any ingredient; it’s the world’s first epigenetic superfood.”
Lunasin is the first nutritional compound identified to affect gene expression and promote optimal health at the epigenetic level. “We’ve always endeavored to remain on the cutting edge of nutrition science in formulating our products at Reliv. And with the acquisition of lunasin, we are now leading the industry in the budding field of nutritional epigenetics,” Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Carl Hastings said.
“New research shows that through nutrition people can influence which genes are expressed,” he added. “Reliv is committed to building on this emerging science and developing nutritional solutions that help people take control of their health.”
‘Tremendous Opportunity’
Reliv’s ownership of lunasin stems from a joint research and development partnership formed in August 2011 among Reliv, Soy Labs and the Missouri Plant Science Center. That partnership resulted in the creation of LunaRich® soy powder and LunaRich X™, Reliv-exclusive products made from non-GMO soybean varieties with the highest concentration of bioactive lunasin and manufactured using proprietary technologies that maintain the lunasin’s bioactivity.
“Acquiring lunasin not only gives us direct control over the entire LunaRich X production process and technologies, it also opens up opportunities for further research and development with lunasin and other plant-based ingredients,” Dr. Carl said. “We’re beyond excited about what this will mean for Reliv consumers around the globe.”
“Epigenetics has hit the mainstream, and we believe nutritional epigenetics will soon follow,” Ryan added. “Reliv is the only company talking about it because, right now, we’re the only company who can. We believe lunasin positions our company and our Distributors to take full advantage of a tremendous growth opportunity.”