Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Tatsuo Higuchi) has announced the US launch of EQUELLE by US-based Otsuka subsidiary FoodState Inc. (Headquarters: New Hampshire, US; CEO: Robert Craven). EQUELLE, a dietary supplement containing equol, a soy product clinically shown to help reduce symptoms commonly experienced during menopause, will be available to healthcare professionals through Emerson Ecologics beginning October 30, 2017. The launch of EQUELLE in the US will be the first time that this dietary supplement is marketed outside of Japan.

The active ingredient in EQUELLE is equol, a metabolite of soy isoflavone daidzen, which can be produced through the action of intestinal bacteria when soybeans are consumed. While consumption of soybeans or soy isoflavones is expected to contribute to maintenance and improvement of women's health, Americans have few opportunities to consume soybeans^*1, and only 20-30% of American women have the ability to naturally produce S-equol in their digestive tracts^*2. EQUELLE is a convenient dietary supplement that lets women take advantage of the benefits of equol to manage menopausal symptoms.

In the US, the population of menopausal women is approximately 53 million^*3, a number that is increasing annually. Hormone therapy or other pharmaceutical treatments are currently the most common ways to cope with symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition, but 66% of surveyed women indicated they would prefer a natural approach that did not rely on pharmaceuticals. The ratio of women who share this preference is increasing on an annual basis^*4.

After many years of research into the benefits of soy, Otsuka Pharmaceutical discovered that equol can contribute to women's health, and extensive clinical research in Japan and the US has clarified the health benefits of equol. EQUELLE will be launched in the US with the structure/function claim of (1) reducing the frequency of hot flashes and (2) relieving muscle discomfort associated with menopause.
EQUELLE will contribute to the maintenance and improvement of women's health by offering US women who prefer a natural way to manage menopausal symptoms the option of a dietary supplement containing equol, produced when soy is fermented by lactic acid bacteria.