amiQure-An interesting challenge

Introduction

Within the framework of the humanization trend witnessed within the pet industry, nutritional supplements (also called "nutraceuticals") form an unusually interesting category. The fact that people are increasingly in search of pet-friendly solutions to a number of health problems did not escape the management at Numico (note：after the major takeovers of GNC [5,500 shops in the U.S.] and Rexall Sundown, among others, Numico had become the world leader in the field of nutritional supplements). Nutritional supplements for pets represent a rapidly growing market, one worth 870 million dollars worldwide in 2001 (expectation for 2005：approximately 2 billion dollars).

With his experience as marketing manager/vice president of a pharmaceutical company, Gerard Klaui had been active in phytotherapy and nutritional supplements in a number of European countries. This background combined with his great affinity for pets made Klaui the ideal person to give shape to this new project at Numico.

After a comprehensive market study and a substantial amount of field work, a start was made in early 2001 with the development of a marketing concept. The product development took place at the Numico Research Centre in Wageningen. The fact that the concept of nutritional supplements for pets was taken seriously within the Numico organization became apparent from the recruitment of scientists with a veterinary background. The basic assumption underlying the development was the creation of a series of symptom-oriented products which could serve as a pet-friendly alternative for problems such as articular degeneration, hip dysplasia, stress,  fear of abandonment, skin allergies, eczema, and various geriatric conditions. Even given all of the necessary in-house knowledge and experience, the product development did not end with the creation of a nice tablet which contained the right amount of nutrients. Pets' acceptance of this product was also an important element in this process. To satisfy this requirement, the tablets were enriched with vegetarian flavourings and aromatic substances which had been subjected to extensive testing. All of these efforts ultimately resulted in the introduction of amiQure in mid-2002 in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Start of amiQure

Due to a complete changing of the guard within the Board of kirectors at Royal Numico in the past year, the course Numico had been following was shifted from nutritional supplements to infant and clinical nutrition. Since then, all of the vitamin-related activities have been abandoned. Gerard reports that at the time, he had indicated to the Board of Directors that he would be happy to continue with amiQure on an independent basis, not only because of its enormous market potential, but also due to his considerable commitment to the products. Gerard thus also considers himself lucky to have received all of the cooperation he could have hoped for from Numico, allowing him to continue with amiQure on his own (as of 1 September 2003).

When asked how he views the enrichment of premium food with nutrients such as glucosamine and the like, Gerard answered："Because of the effect of price, food can never contain the level of ingredients or the quantities that can used in the manufacture of supplements; the food would become too expensive to produce. There are also certain ingredients which cannot be used in foods due to certain technical aspects involved in production. Returning to glucosamine, when we look at that which scientists have established in approaching serious joint problems in dogs, the quantities added by manufacturers are nowhere near sufficient. The dosage must be many times higher than what is currently used in foods."

Future growth & Introductions

So where does that leave amiQure now, over a year after its introduction? "there is a clear pattern of growth which may be observed in sales. Shops which are interested in these types of products have discovered that they can set themselves apart from others by selling them and that they truly have something new and good to offer their customers. Recently an open label study was conducted among dogs with joint problems. From the study, it appeared that 2/3 of the dogs which were treated with the amiQure joint formula was doing much better. The dogs' owners report that their dogs are running and playing again, are much more active, more cheerful, and that surgery has been postponed. And to think that these dogs were afflicted with serious disorders such as articular degeneration and hip dysplasia."

Recently two new products were introduced：Slank & Fit and Glucosamine+ Big Size. These are the first products of their kind designed to help dogs lose weight in a responsible and pet-friendly manner. Once again, the multi-action system was used in the development of these products in which a specific problem is approached from various points of view.

Sitting still is not an option for Gerard Klaui, and this is evidenced in the fact that amiQure will soon be launched on the Japanese market in cooperation with a major pharmaceutical company. Also, after a testing phase of nearly two years, a series of products for cats will be introduced early nest year. Gerard has high expectations for this last group as cats are very critical when it comes to ingesting supplements or medications. With the products which are now ready for launch, he is convinced that he will now also be able to offer a tasty and pet-friendly alternative product for cats.

The nest challenge is also already looming large on the horizon：the introduction of symptom-oriented supplements for an entirely different category of pets. All of the formulas for these products have already been created and exploratory acceptance tests have even been performed as well.

Gerard concludes with an anecdote about an older woman to who the aniQure-for Flexible Joints product had been recommended by the mother of one of his colleagues for her joint problems. The woman in question had actually used the product herself after seeing how much it had benefited her dog. Sometimes the world can be so small…