Nestlé Acquires Stake in U.S. Medical Food Firm

LUTRY, SwitzerlandNestlé Health Science has acquired a stake in U.S.-based Accera to support the ongoing trials and rollout of the firm's key brand, Axona, a medical food intended for the clinical dietary management of mild to moderate Alzheimers disease. The move fits with Nestles strategic goal to develop a strong portfolio of nutrition-based solutions to manage and prevent disease.

Our stake in Accera is a strategic step forward in building up our brain health portfolio," said Nestlé Health Science President and CEO Luis Cantarell. Axona is an innovative medical food with a well understood mode of action and offers the potential for personalized nutrition for AD patients."

Commenting on the acquisition, Acceras President and CEO Holger Kunze, said: Nestlé Health Sciences investment will enable us to expand our clinical development program and strengthen our commercial capabilities in the United States." Longer term, it will also give us the opportunity to enlarge the geographic footprint of Axona."

In 2009, Nestle announced it was investing $500 million to pioneer a  new industry between food and pharma" to create Nestlé Health Science S.A. and The Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences. Nestlé Health Science S.A. is aligned with the companys existing food, beverage and nutrition business, and incorporates the existing global Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition business.