Study Further Positions Lonza's UC-II ® Undenatured Type II Collagen as a Leader in the Crowded Joint-Health Market

Basel, Switzerland, 15 February 2018 – Research published in Osteoarthritis & Cartilage provides further validation for Lonza's UC-II^® undenatured type II collagen as a leading brand in the joint health ingredient space. The study, “Oral Administration of Undenatured Native Chicken Type II Collagen (UC-II) Diminished Deterioration of Articular Cartilage in a Rat Model of OA,” is available online for download.

“This study represents a major milestone for the UC-II^® brand, and it validates our efforts to develop new paradigms for joint health products for the aging population, while also addressing the needs of an expanding group of younger, active, health-conscious consumers,” said Dr. James Lugo, Chief Scientific Officer of the Consumer Health & Nutrition Business Unit of Lonza. “These new results complement previously published clinical data on the UC-II^® ingredient, which demonstrate statistically significant beneficial effects for healthy subjects who develop knee-joint discomfort following strenuous exercise. This research also furthers our understanding of the mechanisms through which the UC-II^® brand elicits its beneficial effects.”

The research was conducted utilizing a rat model for osteoarthritis (OA), which resembles some of the characteristics of human OA, including articular cartilage deterioration, bone-spur formation and the loss of knee mechanical function, which results in significant changes in walking gait.

The dose of the UC-II^® ingredient selected for the study represents the clinically tested human equivalent dose of 40 mg per day. As this small size and once-per-day frequency provides an efficacious dose, it may improve consumer compliance. This benefit, in combination with the ingredient's foundation of research, provides manufacturers with new, significant consumer benefits compared with traditional products in the joint health market.

UC-II^® undenatured type II collagen has been clinically studied in healthy adults¹ and has been shown to help improve joint comfort, mobility and flexibility in people with OA.^{2 3} Additionally, it has been shown to be statistically significantly more effective than the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC).²

Lonza's UC-II^® ingredient and method of manufacture are patented (US Patents, 7,846,487 and 7,083,820; EP Patent EP 1 435 906; Canadian Patent CA 2459981C; and Japanese Patent JP 4800574 B2 additional granted patents and pending patent applications). The method of using UC-II^® undenatured type II collagen is also patented (US patent 9,066,926 and other pending patent applications).

¹Lugo JP, et al. "Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II^®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers." J lnt Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:48.

²Lugo JP, et al. "Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type ll collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Nutr J. 2016;15:14,

³Crowley DC, et al. "Safety and efficacy of undenatured type ll collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial." Int J Med Sci. 2009;6:312-321.