BASF Nutrition & Health has launched Hepacore in Switzerland for the dietary management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). With the launch in Switzerland, BASF is bringing Hepacor to the first market in continental Europe.

Containing highly concentrated and purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Hepacor is designed to correct the nutritional deficiency of patients with NAFLD and can address a buildup of fat in the liver, known as steatosis, in NAFLD patients. Hepacor will be marketed, sold and distributed as a food for special medical purposes across Switzerland through Ideogen, a Swiss pharmaceutical company with expertise in speciality care.

NAFLD is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease worldwide. Studies have shown that NAFLD patients suffer from EPA and DHA deficiency. A clinical study has shown that Hepacor corrects this deficiency and raises the levels of these important fatty acids in the blood. Increasing the levels of EPA and DHA can help to reduce the fat burden in the liver by improving the liver’s ability to process excessive pre-existing fat and at the same time inhibit the creation of new fat from dietary carbohydrates.

With approximately 25% of people in Switzerland living with NAFLD, Hepacor can contribute to their liver health by raising the levels of EPA and DHA needed for managing this chronic liver disease.

“Together with Ideogen in Switzerland, the BASF team has undergone a rigorous process to bring Hepacor to continental Europe and address a growing concern for patients with NAFLD,” said Christoph Garbotz, Head of Commercial Management Advanced Health Solutions at BASF. “With our European production and supply chain set up successfully, we are ready to collaborate with interested partners in greater Europe.”

Hepacor is manufactured in Norway using a patented purification technology to reduce persistent organic pollutants and other substances like unwanted lipids such as cholesterol, which are naturally found in all fish oil-based products. Research on rodents has shown that one specific environmental pollutant, PCB 153, contributes to the development of NAFLD. Hepacor is manufactured to minimise unnecessary exposure of NAFLD patients to such unwanted components of fish oil.