Reckitt Shaking Up Brain Health Market With Neuriva Dietary Supplement And Mobile App Launch In US
Executive Summary
Based on a patented coffee bean extract, the 'clinically proven' Neuriva brain health supplement is being launched by RB onto the US market. The firm has also developed a mobile app to complement the supplement with tailored brain training programs.
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC is looking to take a slice of the growing brain health wellness market by launching in the US in April 2019 its new Neuriva dietary supplement.
“The brain health segment is exploding, but no true market leader has emerged because the science wasn’t there, until now,” RB claims. “Neuriva combines the best of science and nature to deliver results no one else has.”
Containing “clinically proven natural ingredients,” Neuriva is available as a capsule in 30-count bottles in ‘Original’ and ‘Plus’ variants. Both the Original and Plus options contain an extract of whole fruit from the Coffea arabica plant and “plant-sourced” phosphatidylserine, while the Plus variant also comprises vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid.
RB has once again teamed up with food ingredient manufacturer VDF FutureCeuticals to develop Neuriva. FutureCeuticals’ patented FruiteX-B ingredient is currently used by RB in its joint health supplement MoveFree.
Neuriva’s key ingredient - coffee berry extract - is a patented by FutureCeuticals as NeuroFactor, which has been “clinically shown to significantly increase levels of a key neuroprotein (BDNF) vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking.”
Critical Role In Neuronal Development
“BDNF has been widely reported to play a critical role in neuronal development, maintenance, repair, and protection against neuro-degeneration,” FutureCeuticals notes. “Neuroscience now suggests that increased BDNF levels may help mitigate the advance of cognitive decline in human subjects.”
FutureCeuticals points out that in a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot human clinical study, NeuroFactor was tested against other leading botanicals, including green coffee bean extract, natural coffee caffeine, and grape seed extract for effect on BDNF. Only NeuroFactor showed a statistically significant ability to increase BDNF in humans, claims the firm.
RB is not the first consumer health firm to team up with FutureCeuticals to bring NeuroFactor to the US market. According to the US Council of Responsible Nutrition’s Supplement Owl directory, [GNC Holdings Inc.] and [Swanson Health Products Inc.] offer supplements containing Neurofactor, such as Beyond Raw Nootropic Booster and Pure Brainpower.
RB is seeking to make Neuriva stand out from the competition by launching the product alongside a complementary ‘brain training’ mobile app. “Neuriva is more than a supplement, it’s a multi-touchpoint experience,” RB claims.
While RB is remaining tight lipped on the app – only revealing that it “offers brain training and support” – the firm claims it’s backed by “scientific expertise.”
“It’s a full suite of solutions,” says RB’s Health COO Aditya Sehgal. “Neuriva is the first brand that offers a holistic ecosystem that supports brain performance and is clinically proven with natural ingredients that help improve focus, accuracy, memory, learning and concentration, which are the five indicators of healthy brain performance.”
A promotional video for Neuriva says it offers a solution for busy consumers looking to make their brains “a little sharper, a little faster on the draw.”
The video signs off, “Nature made it, science proved it, brains love it. Get ready to brain better in April 2019.”
RB CEO Rakesh Kapoor says he is hopeful Neuriva can “establish a very strong presence” in the US dietary supplements market. The launch is the first major product of RB’s “reignited” innovation engine, he points out, which has undergone an overhaul to move away from one-size-fits-all to more tailored solutions.
The firm is hopeful innovations such as Neuriva will provide a shot in the arm to its Health business, which RB says is currently failing to meet internal expectations. (Also see "Reckitt ‘Not Happy’ With Consumer Health Growth In 2018, Following European And Infant Nutrition Woes " - HBW Insight, 20 Feb, 2019.)