Natto Pharma Secures EU Patents for Vitamin K and Heart Health

Vitamin K specialist Natto Pharma (Lysaker, Norway) announced on Wednesday that the company has successfully defended two EU patents for vitamin K1 and K2 in heart health.

The first patent claims vitamin K's use for decalcification of blood vessels and the second claims its use in preventing age-related stiffening of arteries, the company reported.

The news further bolsters Natto Pharma's presence in a vitamin K market that is receiving new attention thanks to increasing research on the nutrient's cardiovascular and bone health benefits. The company manufactures MenaQ7, a source of K2 that has been the subject of dozens of published studies on K2.

"The EPO approval and confirmation of these two patents represents a milestone for NattoPharma," said Natto Pharma CEO Peter Carlsson. "This will significantly strengthen NattoPharma's intellectual property rights and contribute to NattoPharma's competitive advantage and the ability to support our customers and partners in the marketing of MenaQ7 within the food supplement market as well as the functional food market."