Mumbai: Spherix and Fullife Healthcare have signed a supply and license agreement for the use of D-tagatose in nutraceutical products in India. Under the terms of the agreement, Spherix has granted Fullife an exclusive, royalty-bearing license in India for use of Spherix's clinical data and proprietary know-how to support marketing and dosing of the D-tagatose that Spherix will also be supplying.

The D-tagatose will be used in food or cosmetic products that may provide health benefits in return for a fixed royalty on gross sales. Spherix will provide bulk D-Tagatose to Fullife and THE latter will be responsible for all testing and development of products containing D-Tagatose for sale in India. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed yet.

"We are delighted to enter into this supply and license agreement with Fullife Healthcare, a proven leader in innovative pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical diagnostics in India," said Dr Claire Kruger, CEO, Spherix. "This agreement opens a new worldwide nutraceutical or 
dietary supplement opportunity for Spherix."

Dr Robert Lodder, president, Spherix, noted that, "Spherix D-tagatose meets all US pharmacopia (USP) monograph specifications and the company has more than 10 tons available for nearly immediate delivery."

D-tagatose is a naturally occurring simple sugar that has been tested successfully as an oral treatment for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and other indications. D-tagatose has been recognized by the US FDA as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) substance for use in food and beverages since 2001. Structurally, D-tagatose is a naturally occurring stereoisomer of D-fructose, and is processed by the body using the same pathways as other sugars, but at a slower rate, thus blocking the pathways and preventing the stimulation of insulin secretion and lowering blood glucose levels. It is also considered to be a pre-biotic