The products, which use ingredients such as Japanese matcha green tea, Irish mushroom, and elderberry powders, were already available online prior to the event, delayed by COVID.

For Dr Kerley, the creation of his company Phytaphix, the journey from researcher to business owner, has been a labour of love that placed trust on his patients to help point the way.

“As a clinician, a lot of my patients were looking for nutrition products that could improve their immune health or inflammatory response,” he explains.

“There was not much that I would recommend so I decided to take my own research and expertise and formulate unique nutrition products.

“All of our products are based on leading science and focus on pure and premium food ingredients as opposed to isolated chemicals.

The vitamin C source used in Immune Phix as coming from a blend of elderberry, rosehip, Indian gooseberry and acerola cherry as opposed to just isolated ascorbic acid.

Immune Phix provides the maximal amount of vitamin C that can be absorbed from a single ingestion from fruit powders meaning improved bioavailability and additional nutrients.

Clinical research in the pipeline

However, with a background in research, Dr Kerley is also keen to back up with products with a series of high-quality studies that provide further proof that his products are the real deal.

“From 2023 onwards, our own research studies in key areas of health will be our selling point.

“Clinical research is difficult and expensive but my background is in designing and conducting research.

“We will be commencing clinical research on our formulations for blood pressure and blood sugar in 2023.”

The capsules contain curcuminoids, organic, plant-based vitamin D3, vitamin B12, magnesium, piperine, ashwagandha and quercetin and are backed by studies pointing to their inflammation-reducing, immune-supporting qualities.

Similarly, Immune Phix contains nutrients known to help in immune health and include vitamin B12 from Irish mushroom, vitamin C from dried berries and cherries, and vitamin D3 from marine algae.

Other nutrients in the blend include magnesium from marine multi-mineral complex from the Irish Sea, zinc, flavonoid polyphenols from Japanese Matcha Green Tea and fruit powders.

“We launched our first product in November 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr Kerley explains. “Our planned clinical research on blood pressure and blood sugar was cancelled.

“We decided to pivot Phytaphix from a focus on metabolic health to an immune focus. We launched Immune Phix in November 2020 and have now exported Immune Phix to 35 countries.

“In December 2021, we launched COVMPAQ, based on research in hospitalised people demonstrating support of the inflammation process.

Ensuring products are suitable for different lifestyles

Part of the company ethos centres on catering to a wide consumer base, with COVMPAQ free of potential allergens and animal-sourced ingredients such as lactose, gelatine, gluten, or artificial sweeteners, additives or preservatives.

It’s a similar story with Immune Phix, with the product 100% plant-based, gluten-free and free from artificial additives and sweeteners.

According to Dr Kerley, the inclusion of locally sourced ingredients such as Irish mushroom, Irish Sea minerals and British fruits was to, “support local suppliers not just because of the local economy but also because of the quality of the ingredients”.

“Some of the ingredients have specific sources such as Indian gooseberry or Japanese matcha green Tea. In these instances, we have sourced the absolute best products in terms of nutritional composition.

“I consciously made an effort to ensure that our products would be good for people, and planet,” he adds.

“We also wanted to ensure our products were suitable for those with different lifestyle choices.”