Metafolin® Approved for Supplements in EU

Metafolin® Approved for Supplements in EU

SCHAFFHAUSEN, SwitzerlandMerck Eprova AG announced the EU StandingCommittee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) approved calciumLmethylfolate (as Mercks Metafolin®) for inclusion on the positive list ofvitamins covered in the EU Directives for food supplements and foods fornutritional uses. Metafolin is a more bioavailable form of folate compared with folic acid,which must be metabolized by the body. The approval follows a positive U.S. Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) nod in 2001, a 2004 authorization from theEuropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the positive evaluation by the JointFAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in July 2005.

Metafolin is a proprietary folate with excellent bioavailability, saidRoger Weibel, product manager of Merck Eprova AG (www.eprova.com). We believe Metafolin is an interesting tool for a differentiation strategy in a highly competitive market.