High Demand for NZ Innovation to Tackle Us Health Crisis
5 July 2024 – Medical professionals dealing with unprecedented demand for GLP-1 injectables like Ozempic (approximately 12% of the US public have taken a GLP-1 drug[1]), are also grappling with the shortages, cost and side-effects that come with them.
This challenge has accelerated the value of Calocurb, and its active ingredient Amarasate, a natural GLP-1 activator discovered in New Zealand with sales growth now doubling every quarter. Calocurb is an alternate option for long-term weight management for patients, including those transitioning off these synthetic medications.
Dr Ben González MD, a leading expert in metabolic and obesity medicine, has thrown his full support behind Amarasate, a New Zealand-grown natural bitter hops extract ingredient that he believes has a bright future as an important weight management tool alongside the increasingly popular injectable GLP-1s.
Dr González received heightened interest from health professionals after recently speaking about Calocurb’s active ingredient, Amarasate, in a new Clinical Weight Management Certification Programme at the American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine. He spoke of Amarasate’s effectiveness when incorporated into a comprehensive clinical approach to a patient’s weight loss management.
“With 42% of adults in the US now classified as obese – an increase of 11.4% over 20 years – I have long been a proponent of disease prevention and I am truly excited about the potential of new ingredients like Amarasate to change the trajectory of these statistics.
“I am impressed with the New Zealand government’s foresight in seeking solutions to the growing obesity epidemic by investing in the research that led to Amarasate’s discovery back in 2016.”
Calocurb’s CEO Sarah Kennedy has recently returned from various medical conferences in the US that are driving the exponential demand for the product from health professionals who now recognise its value for their patients in the United States.
“We’re really excited that the medical community is tuning into the effectiveness of Calocurb, which has been clinically proven to regulate eating behaviour by stimulating a person’s release of GLP-1 naturally.
Kennedy tells of sales growth exceeding all targets and doubling every quarter. “We’ve had to switch to pre-orders to meet the demand.”
She adds: “A big part of Calocurb’s appeal is that, unlike synthetic GLP-1 products, it doesn’t require a medical prescription and is taken orally via a capsule rather than injected. It is also a safer and more affordable option, giving it broad appeal as a solution.”
Kennedy further highlights the booming GLP-1 industry is picked by JP Morgan to be worth more than US $100 billion in 2030, piquing the interest of investors globally.
“Amarasate is extracted from a hops plant grown only in Motueka, helping to give Calocurb its status as a truly home-grown success story and example of the country’s transition to a more sustainable export economy,” says Kennedy.
About Dr Ben González
Dr. González is Founder and Medical Director of Atlantis Medical Wellness Center in Silver Spring, MD. He is one of the leading experts in Metabolic and Obesity Medicine developing and designing health coach and physician weight loss certification programs. His background in genetics, nutrition, obesity medicine, hormone replacement therapy, and metabolic medicine combine to give him a powerful perspective for Wellness Care. Dr González has recently been appointed Independent Medical Director for Calocurb. Read his full bio here.
About Calocurb
Calocurb is a New Zealand business supplying Amarasate™ internationally to health professionals and direct to consumers. Amarasate™ is a natural extract unique to New Zealand, discovered and developed by scientists from Crown research institute Plant & Food Research. It has been clinically demonstrated to regulate eating behaviour by stimulating the release of GLP-1 naturally.
[1] KFF Health Tracking Poll May 2024: The Public’s Use and Views of GLP-1 Drugs
