Probi, Skånemejerier to Launch Immune Products

LUND, SwedenProbi and Skånemejerier agreed to launch an entirely new range of products that strengthens the natural body defense and helps with common colds. The launch is scheduled for the second half of 2009. Probi will thereby take its first step into the immune market with a global value of 40 billion SEK.

We have had a successful collaboration with Skånemejerier around ProViva since 1994 and are therefore very excited about the possibility to launch an entirely new range of beverages together with them, said Michael Oredsson, CEO, Probi.

The products contain probiotics developed by Probi over several years and for which an extensive clinical study on common colds was presented in August 2008. The study was carried out in Berlin by an independent research institute on behalf of Probi. The placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-center study was comprised of 310 volunteers.

We believe products that noticeably improve consumers body defense and provide benefits such as fewer, milder and shorter common cold periods, have the potential to become bestsellers in the chilled category, said Björn Sederblad, CEO, Skånemejerier.

The range will contain a combination of two new probiotic strains patented by Probi, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei. In the Berlin study, the degree of common cold symptoms and the duration of common cold periods were significantly reduced in the group that received Probis product, compared to placebo.

From a commercial point of view, the most interesting result was that nearly 50 percent of those given Probis product considered it to be very effective and another 20 percent considered it to be effective. The level was considerably lower for those who were given placebo and almost no one in that group considered the treatment to be very effective.