Stem cell supplement approved for sale in Taiwan
Called Stem-Kine, the supplement claims to nourish the bone marrow supporting the body’s natural processes for producing and increasing levels of circulating stem cells.
Stem cells are formed primarily in bone marrow that can develop into any type of cell. These circulate with the blood, congregating in diseased or damaged tissues, where they replace the injured cells with healthy new cells.
According to the company, in two published studies, Stem-Kine was shown to result in an increase of 50% to 100% in the subject's level of circulating stem cells over a prolonged period of time.
Steve Bowman, president at RBC Life Sciences, told FoodNavigator-Asia that the company would market the product in Taiwan under the brand name of SK Plus now that the approval has been granted.
“The product approved for sale by the Department of Health [Taiwan FDA]. The product is approved as a Health Food under their food regulations. We make no medical claims for the product,” said Bowman.
A relationship market
Bowman pointed out that stem cell production drops off significantly when individuals reach their mid-twenties. “So our market is individuals of that age and older who want to nutritionally support the natural repair system of their bodies.”
According to the 2010 population census of Taiwan, 73.61% of the country’s residents fall between the ages of 15 and 64, including 12 million people between the ages of 19 and 35.
“We have adopted a network marketing model to distribute our products so we reach these individuals through the marketing and sales efforts of our independent associates. It is a marketing model largely based on personal relationships and referrals,” he said.
More of Asia, but not now
Bowman revealed that for now, Taiwan is the only Asian market where the product is being marketed.
“We do have some customers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei who purchase directly from the US but we do no marketing in those countries and the product is not registered. The product was launched in North America in May 2011,” he said.
“We plan to expand distribution into other Asian markets once our operations in Taiwan are fully established. We do not have a timetable or a market priority list at this time.”
