Nestlé has begun efforts to establish an industry linking resources from the food and pharmaceuticals sectors in a move to improve global health.
Nestlé Health Science S.A. and the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences will join together to develop an innovative area of health and science nutrition to prevent and treat conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Nestlé Health Science S.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., will become operational on 1 January 2011. The new company will be run at arm’s length from Nestlé’s main food, beverages and nutrition activities, and incorporate the existing global Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition business. The company will also have access to external scientific and technologies through Nestlé’s innovation network as well as a number of venture capital funds in which the group has interests.
The Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences will be part of Nestlé’s global R&D network. The Institute will be run by Emmanuel E. Baetge, former Chief Scientific Officer of ViaCyte.
Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe said that Nestlé would be a pioneer in helping to shape the space between the food and pharmaceuticals industries.
“The combination of health economics, changing demographics and advances in health science show that our existing healthcare systems, which focus on treating sick people, are not sustainable and need redesigning,” he said.
“Nestlé has the expertise, the science, the resources and the organisation to play a major role in seeking alternative solutions.
“Personalised health science nutrition is about finding efficient and cost effective ways to prevent and treat acute and chronic diseases in the 21st century.”
Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke said: “The creation of Nestlé Health Science S.A. and the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences is the best way to focus our attention and organize our unique capabilities and competencies to seize this promising business opportunity.”