Unlock Your Mornings The Science Behind Better Wake-Ups

Episode Overview

Episode Topic                                                                                                       

In this episode of Nutra Preneur, host Bethany dives into the innovative world of nutraceuticals with Sascha Fritsche, co-founder and CEO of Galventa. Galventa is a pioneering Swiss company that’s redefining the nutraceutical landscape with its unique approach to clinical nutrition, particularly through its advanced galenic formulations. Sascha shares the inspiring story behind Galventa’s creation, the scientific challenges the company has tackled, and how their flagship product, B · SYNC® ON, is revolutionizing the wake-up process. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of cutting-edge science and nutrition, offering deep insights into how innovative delivery technologies are enhancing bioavailability and efficacy in nutraceuticals.

Lessons You’ll Learn

Listeners will gain a comprehensive understanding of how Galventa’s unique approach to bioavailability sets them apart in the crowded nutraceutical market. Sascha Fritsche explains the importance of conducting proprietary clinical trials to validate the efficacy of their products, ensuring that they meet the highest standards. You’ll also learn about the overlooked issue of wake-up difficulties and how Galventa’s B · SYNC® ON product targets this problem by synchronizing the circadian rhythm. This episode sheds light on the critical role that education and consumer awareness play in the nutraceutical industry, providing valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and health enthusiasts alike.

About Our Guest

Sascha Fritsche is the co-founder and CEO of Galventa, a Swiss-based nutraceutical company known for its innovative approach to clinical nutrition. With a background in pharmaceutical sciences and a strong commitment to scientific rigor, Sascha has led Galventa in developing advanced galenic formulations designed for superior bioavailability and efficacy. Under his leadership, Galventa has introduced groundbreaking products like B · SYNC® ON, which enhances the wake-up process by synchronizing the circadian rhythm. Sascha’s passion for blending science with consumer health solutions makes him a leading figure in the nutraceutical industry, and his insights into product development, clinical validation, and market education are invaluable to anyone interested in health and wellness.

Topics Covered

In this episode, we cover a wide range of topics essential to understanding the evolving nutraceutical landscape. Sascha Fritsche discusses the inspiration behind Galventa and the scientific principles guiding their product development, particularly their focus on enhancing bioavailability through innovative delivery technologies. We delve into the challenges of bringing new nutraceutical products to market, including the importance of clinical trials and regulatory compliance across different countries. The conversation also touches on the often-overlooked issue of wake-up difficulties, the science behind circadian rhythm synchronization, and how Galventa is addressing these health concerns with their unique formulations. Finally, Sascha gives a glimpse into the future of Galventa, hinting at upcoming products focused on longevity and mental health.

Our Guest:Sascha Fritsche Innovator and CEO of Galventa

Episode Transcript

 Bethany: Welcome to another episode of neutra Preneur your go to source for the latest in nutraceutical innovations. I’m Bethany, your host. Today we’re delighted to have Sascha Fritsche, co-founder and CEO of Galventa, a pioneering Swiss nutraceutical company. Under Sascha ‘s leadership, Galventa is redefining clinical nutrition with its cutting edge, galenic formulations designed for superior bioavailability and efficacy. Welcome, Sascha . It’s so great to have you today.

Sascha Fritsche: Nice to be here. Thank you very much.

 Bethany: So first off, I think it’d be great if you could start by telling us what inspired the creation of Galventa and its focus on these galenic formulations.

Sascha Fritsche: Yes, definitely. The title gives away a lot. I mean, Galventa stands for Galenic innovation, and as such, we focus on developing new delivery technologies that either allow us to create innovative products or increase the bioavailability of new products. So my co-founder Dario is actually a sleep scientist, and he came across the wake up difficulties in a clinical study that he was conducting. So back then he was investigating the potential of a new drug for depression. And what he realized was really that people do not only have sleep problems, but they also have wake up difficulties. And he wanted to address that by providing a drug or some means that that probably work. And he couldn’t find anything. And we realized that there is no delivery technology that actually would allow a mechanism such that you can directly target the wake up problem. And that’s when it all started. We thought about this and we said, okay, that’s worth investigating further and trying to come up with a solution.

 Bethany: Yes. That’s great And Galvani is really known for its commitment to clinically validated nutrition. So how do you ensure that your products meet the highest standards of efficacy?

Sascha Fritsche: I think the firstly, it’s in our culture, most of the team members are coming from pharma. They have pharmaceutical backgrounds. So they’re really used to extensive testing and very tough regulations that the product has to adhere to. So that’s one of the reasons. Secondly, I reinvest a lot of money in our own clinical trials. So we invest in PK, PD trials really showing the efficacy of our product. We also have third party validation. And of course we also test amongst us. And before launching the products, we usually also do a field test so that we can really say the clinical data fits the field data. And that’s why the product is ready for market launch.

 Bethany: Yeah that’s great. You know I think it’s really important to do those clinical studies on your specific products just so that you have that data to share.

Sascha Fritsche: Yes, I absolutely agree. It’s the cornerstone of our company.

 Bethany: Yes, absolutely. And you know, in this nutraceutical space, there are a lot of challenges. So how does galvanize approach to bioavailability set it apart from other products that are out in the market?

Sascha Fritsche: Yeah I think bioavailability is the best word out there. And everybody talks about it. And they are right to talk about it because that’s where we believe there’s a lot of potential still. So what sets us apart is maybe that we believe in science, but we in particular believe in our own science. So we do tests the clinical data ourselves, which means that we don’t rely on somebody else’s clinical trial that maybe says, for example caffeine that improves Alertness that’s known. And there are studies out there that can really prove this. But what we do is we take our own product, B · SYNC® ON the wake up capsule that contains caffeine, and then test it in a clinical trial and see whether or not our product improves alertness. And if it does, then, then we have a claim that this is actually the case with our product. So it’s not really based on the API or the active substance. It’s based on our own product. And that’s, I guess, the way to go to really show that our product has efficacy.

 Bethany: Yes. That’s something I think that can set your company apart from others because not everyone’s doing that. I think a lot of people are relying on previous data. And, you know, it might be accurate. It might not be. So it’s good that you’re doing your own clinical trials so that you have the data for your specific product, and you’re able to share that with consumers. I think that’s great. And your first product, B · SYNC® ON Think on targets the synchronization of the circadian clock. So can you explain more about the science behind this and how it benefits consumers?

Sascha Fritsche: Definitely. I’d like to explain this by asking you a question. Or basically if I would tell you I’ve wake up difficulties and I would tell this to you, the most likely answer you would give me is that you would say, well, drink your coffee, right? So but does a coffee really help you to wake up? I believe it doesn’t, because you have to be awake in order to drink the coffee. So a coffee keeps you awake? Yes, but it doesn’t really help you to wake up. And with B · SYNC® ON the wake up capsule, we have a product that specifically targets the waking up process, and we do that with our Galenic formulation. So basically you take B · SYNC® ON before going to bed and it contains caffeine. So it’s very counterintuitive. But the active formula makes or the active ingredient is only released seven hours later By the time you want to wake up, it’s like drinking your coffee while sleeping. And that’s why it’s actually the first product out there that can really enhance your wake up process.

 Bethany: Yeah, that is such an interesting approach. You know, I think a lot of us are always so focused on falling asleep and having, you know, good quality sleep. We’re not really thinking about the wake up process as well. And I know a lot of us do struggle with waking up and feeling alert and ready for the day when we do wake up. So it’s very interesting to think about taking caffeine before bedtime, but how it works, it sounds like it’s actually very effective.

Sascha Fritsche: Definitely. I mean, you’re addressing a very big concern. I mean, waking up is one of the most overlooked problems in sleep health. There was recently just a study, for example, in the UK. I think it came out in 2022, and it really showed that more than 50% of the people hate their alarm clocks. And there is 62% that struggle 2 to 3 times a week. So. So that’s quite a number of, of, of us that is struggling with, with waking up in the morning and it’s completely neglected in the field of sleep health. So we are targeting that and it’s definitely an interesting area to be in.

 Bethany: Yes, absolutely. I would probably be grouped into that category. I have trouble with my others. And so when developing this product that helps consumers wake up with ease, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome those challenges?

Sascha Fritsche: I think it goes into what we’ve just been talking about. I mean, as you said, I mean, you’re one of those people who are struggling with waking up, but you weren’t probably aware until recently that there is a solution for your struggle. And that’s exactly what we have been dealing with a lot of times. So we have a product. We have a solution to a problem that many people have, but they don’t know that there is this solution. So in terms of making our brand become more aware in the consumer groups, there’s a lot of education that we have to do and really tell them, wait, it’s not only about falling asleep, you also have to wake up in a good way and let us help us there. And so. So this has been quite a journey to educate the consumer, mostly about the availability of our product.

 Bethany: Yeah, I think education has become a huge part of this industry. Consumers are willing and ready to take on the knowledge that you have to offer, and I think it’s great that you’re able to educate them about your products.

Speaker3: Yes.

 Bethany: Yeah. And so how does Galventa’s product help align consumers biological clocks with their lifestyles, especially for those who would be considered a night owl?

Sascha Fritsche: It’s a very good question. So what we have proven in our own clinical study is really that we can improve the wake up process. And even after the first dose, you basically have a better wake up experience. We haven’t proven the synchronizing of the inner clock in our own study, but there is an increasing body of evidence showing that, for example, if you take caffeine late at night, then you can basically delay your sleep wake cycle by a couple of hours. And we want to do our own study on that, because we believe that being or releasing caffeine, basically at the last part of your sleep, we have a better efficacy in terms of the receptors being less bound from anything else. So caffeine is probably more effective during those hours, and hence we should be able to turn even the biggest night owl into an early riser in the morning.

Speaker3: Wow, that’s.

 Bethany: That’s exciting news.

Speaker3: Yes, yes.

 Bethany: And looking ahead, what new advancements can we expect from Gaventa in the field of nutraceuticals.

Sascha Fritsche: Yeah. What we want to do so far, we have one product in two different strengths in the markets. We sell them in Germany, Switzerland, UK and that’s it basically. So we want to go from being a one trick pony to having a product portfolio. So we are really focusing on this synchronizing of the circadian rhythm on the hallmarks of sleep, as we call them. And therefore we have developed a number of products that go in line with Booking.com. So as you can imagine, there is pissing off, which will then make you fall asleep and other products coming along, those principles.

 Bethany: It’s exciting. And, you know, product innovation, it can be a challenge as well. You know, it takes time to do the research to see what products are going to be effective, what are going to work in line with the B · SYNC® ON. So I’m sure a lot of research and clinical trials will be going into those new products as well.

Sascha Fritsche: Yes. I mean, all our products will have some twist in its galenic formulations. That’s what we do. And then of course, we can’t do the tests and the clinical validation on all our products at the same time. This would be very costly. But we’ll definitely do in vitro release testing, etc.. And then from product to product we’ll go into in vivo testing as well given time. Hopefully we have a portfolio of of well tested in human tested products in the market.

Speaker3: Yeah.

 Bethany: And you know, even just in the last several years there have been so many technological advancements. So how do you see the role of technology evolving in the formulation and effectiveness of nutraceuticals?

Sascha Fritsche: I think obviously this is the most important part of our industry. I mean, the actives you can use are limited. Regulations are becoming tougher, at least in many countries. So how you can do new and better products is really by relying on good technologies. And that’s also why we focus on the delivery technology part of things.

 Bethany: Yes, I think in almost every single episode we talk about the regulations and how, you know, they can be pretty restrictive. They’re there for a reason. They’re a good thing. But, you know, you have to figure out how to understand the regulations and abide by those regulations which, you know, can cause some challenges as well.

Sascha Fritsche: Yes. I mean, it’s a tough area to be in.

Speaker3: Yes.

Sascha Fritsche: Especially if you are active in more than one country. There are strange regulations and variations as well from country to country.

 Bethany: It is interesting to see all of the various regulations for the different countries. And are there any other areas of wellness or health challenges that Gaventa is looking to address in the future? Products. I know you kind of touched on that a bit, but can you give us some more insight on that?

Sascha Fritsche: We have some ideas with regards to longevity and mental health. Those two areas are, of course connected and also of interest to us, but we don’t have any products or any ideas to share at this moment.

 Bethany: Yes, I know a lot of that is proprietary, but it sounds like a lot of exciting things are happening. And Sascha , thank you once again for sharing your insights about the exciting developments at Gaventa with us. For those interested in learning more about Gaventa and their revolutionary products like B · SYNC® ON , check out the links in our show notes. Remember to subscribe to Nutra Preneur for more discussions on the forefront of nutraceutical innovations. Share your thoughts on today’s episode on social media and join us next time as we continue to explore how science is transforming nutrition. Until then, keep striving for your best health.