PHARMADIL LAUNCHING SEVEN AYURVEDIC HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS IN EARLY 1994

PHARMADIL LAUNCHING SEVEN AYURVEDIC HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS IN EARLY 1994 directly to health food stores nationwide, the Guilderland, N.Y.-based firm said. Pharmadil anticipates that health food store distributors may pick up the line by the third quarter of 1994. Ayurveda, Pharmadil explained, is the Indian "science that believes in promoting health through the use of natural materials, plants, herbs, fruits, minerals, etc." Pharmadil products are supplied to the firm by Dabur, a manufacturer located in India. Available under Pharmadil's Nature Care control brand, the herbal line will be promoted by Pharmadil in Health Food Business and Natural Foods Merchandiser in March and June 1994. The print ads, developed in-house, also are expected to appear in New Age Journal. Promotions may be expanded depending on consumer response, the company said. The line includes Nature Care Ashwagandha (300 mg extract), which is derived from the plant Withania Somnifera and is "widely regarded as an adoptogenic food supplement," according to Pharmadil promotional materials. A 50-tablet bottle costs $ 11.24 suggested retail. The recommended dose is one tablet twice a day with meals, according to Pharmadil. Nature Care Boswellia Serrata "has been standardized" for Boswelic Acids to 150 mg, according to promotional materials. The product will be sold in bottles of 50 tablets at a suggested retail price of $ 12.37. Pharmadil will recommend that one tablet be taken three times a day with meals. Nature Care Coleus Forskohlii contains Forskohlin. The company claims that the ingredient is "used safely by millions in India as a supplement to assist circulatory performance." Each capsule contains 250 mg Coleus Forskohlii standardized to 1 mg Forskohlin. The product is priced at $ 9.37 suggested retail for a 50-capsule bottle. One capsule taken three times a day with meals is the recommended dosage, according to the company. Nature Care Gugul "contains a high purity extract standardized for 25 mg Guggulsterones of both type E and Z," Pharmadil said in materials. The company claims that "recent research in India has focused on Gugul's effect on reducing the formation of cholesterol." Available in 50-capsule bottles for $ 10.94, the company recommended that one caplet be taken three times daily with meals. Used by Ayurvedic practitioners in India to help "the body's own mechanisms of metabolizing carbohydrates," Nature Care Gymnema Sylvestre is standardized to 150 mg crude Gymnemic Acids, Pharmadil said. A 50-capsule bottle is priced at $ 11.47 suggested retail, with the recommended dose being one capsule two times daily with meals. A mixture of 300 mg Picrorhiza Kuffoa and 150 mg Silybum Marianum (also known as milk thistle), Nature Care Picrorhiza/Silybum has been "standardized to 10 mg Kutkin and 120 mg Silymarin," Pharmadil stated. The product will be sold in bottles of 50 capsules at a suggested retail price of $ 14.92. The company recommends that two capsules of Nature Care Picrorhiza/Silybum be taken twice a day at meals. Nature Care Triphala is a mixture of "three very popular Ayurvedic herbs" -- Emblica Officinalis (Amla), Tenninalia Belerica (Baheda) and Terminalia Chebula (Harada). Triphala, Pharmadil explained in its materials, "has long been considered a general, health-promoting supplement." Available in 50-capsule bottles for $ 4.64 suggested retail, Nature Care Triphala should be taken two to three times a day with meals for a total of up to six capsules, according to the firm. In addition to the new herbal line, Pharmadil markets an herbal toothpaste under the Nature Care brand to health food stores. The toothpaste is available with or without sweetener and is kosher, the firm said. To private-label customers, Pharmadil provides psyllium products in sachets, plastic containers and in bulk. The psyllium items are modeled after P&G's Metamucil regular, orange-flavored and sugar-free SKUs. The company also provides dietary supplement, allergy/cold and analgesic products in bulk to packagers for private-label use. In the supplement area, Pharmadil sells vitamin C, niacin, charcoal tablets, ginseng, calcium tablets, calcium antacids and iron supplements. Allergy/cold items supplied by Pharmadil include allergy tablets similar to Schering-Plough's Chlor-Trimeton, pseudoephedrine tablets modeled after Burroughs Wellcome's Sudafed and sinus tablets based on WaRNer-Lambert's Sinutab. In addition, the company supplies acetaminophen items copied from McNeil's Tylenol, coated aspirin products similar to SmithKline Beecham's Ecotrin, and "lite-coated" aspirin products based on Sterling's Bayer Microcoat.