Brand push: Taiwan’s psychobiotic specialist eyes global markets with branded product line

The five-SKUs strong line-up tackles issues such as ageing, sleep and mood, stress, mobility, and muscle maintenance.  

Bened Biomedical is best known for its psychobiotic ingredient Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ​PS128 meant for supporting relaxation and sleep.

Aside from running an ingredient and OEM/ODM business, it is also selling its finished products branded Inseed​ within Taiwan.

“We have leveraged the knowledge that we have gained from our ODM business, as well as our commercially successful consumer brand [Inseed] to create this new line of supplements,” ​Dr. Alain Delpy, head of international business development department, told NutraIngredients-Asia ​during Vitafoods Asia held in Bangkok – where the firm unveiled the products for the first time.

The finished products sold under Bened will target health supplement markets outside of Taiwan, while Inseed will continue to cater to the local market.

The firm is currently on the lookout for distributors to export the consumer products globally from the start of next year.

It will also be investing one million USD on consumer education, as well as conducting outreach activities to engage the medical professionals.

In its new line-up, the firm has formulated PS128 with magnesium and vitamin B12 in the product ‘Bened Sleep & Mood Support’ for daily support of sleep and positive mood. 

From the gut, to the brain, and the muscles ​

On top of mood and stress, the company is focusing on the gut-brain-muscle axis by using the strain Lactobacillus paracasei​ PS23HK in its new product line-up. 

The strain is added to ‘Bened Muscle & Mobility’, alongside vitamin D and copper for daily support of muscle maintenance. 

So far, 12 human clinical studies have been published for PS128, while nine scientific studies were published for PS23HK.

“We have discovered that PS23HK could increase muscle strength and density,” ​Dr. Delpy said.

He was referring to a mice study published in the journal Aging (Albany NY​​) ​in 2019.

The product ‘Bened Muscle & Mobility’ is designed for consumers age 40 and above.

“Muscle ageing and muscle mass reduction start to appear at the age of 40. This is why we have created a special formula containing PS23HK and enhanced with vitamins to keep the body stronger,” ​Dr. Delpy said. 

The firm has designed another muscle health product as a medical food.

The only powder sachet SKUs in the capsule-focused lineup, the product, known as Muscle Maintenance Support, also contains PS23HK, copper, and vitamin D3.

The firm is running at least three clinical trials looking at the impact of PS23HK on muscle maintenance and ageing.  

The other two products from the new lineup are 'Bened Stress & Performance Support' for daily support of mental performance and 'Bened Healthy Ageing Mind Support' for daily support of the nervous system. 

Both contain PS23HK as the active ingredient, alongside magnesium, vitamin B5 in the former, and vitamin D3, B vitamins, iron, zinc, iodine, and magnesium in the latter.