Dortemag Ventures, one of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies, in conjunction with Malaysia-based Kotra Pharma, has introduced Appeton, a new weight-gain supplement into the Nigerian market.
Speaking with newsmen, shortly after the recent unveiling of the product at its corporate headquarters in Omole Phase 1 area of Lagos, Pharm Seye Agboola, chairman of Dortemag Ventures, said Appeton was formulated to bring relief to homes of people suffering from malnourishment and patients recuperating from protracted illness.
Agboola further hinted that the new health supplement, which is already popular in Asia, can now be procured in pharmacies nationwide.
Jimmy Piong, managing director of Kotra Pharma, noted that while attention, globally, had been subtly shifted to slimming products for people with obesity, a recent survey had shown that at least one in every 20 persons is underweight.
“I believe that there is need to consider both aspects, whether you are looking to slim down or add weight. There is always this erroneous assumption that virtually everybody wants to lose weight. No! That is wrong. It is obvious that the awareness level is poor.
“Just as there is a market for the slimming world, there is also a market for the underweight. Appeton has gone through clinical trials and discovered to have high protein level designed to give the right combination for maximum weight gain,” he stressed.
Jimmy Piong, managing director of Kotra Pharma, displaying the newly launched Appeton supplements
On why it took Dortemag and Kotra Pharma this long to launch such a product into the Nigerian market, Piong who is the current president of Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) and former president of Malaysia Pharmaceutical Association, revealed that while Appeton and other Kotra products had been in the Asian market for long time, it normally takes a long for products to be taken overseas because every pharma export must be clinically substantiated.
Piong, who noted that the Appeton supplement is fruit-based, said that the product is safe, without any contraindication.
He further added that there is a variant of the product for children between the age range of one and 12 years.
Kotra Pharma was voted 2012 and 2013 Malaysian Pharmaceutical Company of the Year. Its frontline products, such as Appeton, Axcel and Vaxcel anti-infectives have become some of Malaysia’s most recognised healthcare brands, both in healing and preventing diseases, as well as promoting holistic wellbeing.
My child had hydrochephalus so the body is still unable to carry the head at age 5 plus. Will Appeton help such child and what other weight gain supplement will you recommend along side.