Glen Mills, Pa. – Sept. 21, 2023 – Pentec Health, Inc. (Pentec) and Lobe Sciences Ltd. (CSE: LOBE) (OTCQB: LOBEF) (“Lobe” or the “Company”) are pleased to announce an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement and the initial availability of Altemia™ – the first medical food in the U.S. designed specifically for children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Pentec will partner with Lobe to provide product distribution and patient support services, as well as engage with physicians, ensuring patients who may benefit from Altemia have access to this novel medical food. The initial availability of Altemia in select markets aligns with National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, which focuses on the need for research and treatment of SCD.
“As the preeminent U.S. provider of medical foods for rare diseases, Pentec was the obvious partner for us,” said Philip J. Young, CEO of Lobe. “With their longstanding history as a leader in clinical nutrition, Pentec will help ensure Altemia reaches the underserved community of children and adults afflicted with SCD.”
SCD is a group of inherited disorders marked by defects in hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. Abnormal hemoglobin causes oval-shaped red blood cells to take on a sickle-like shape. These misshapen red blood cells die much quicker than healthy cells and can block blood flow to different parts of the body, leading to complications such as severe pain, swelling in hands or feet, delayed growth and vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), resulting in severe pain and sometimes death.
Altemia is Lobe’s proprietary formulation of emulsified docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester (DHA) concentration designed for patients with SCD. It is a medical food for the replacement of DHA, the first in the U.S. designed specifically to support patients with SCD. Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial outcomes for patients while taking the primary component of Altemia under physician supervision, including a reduction in VOC and hospital visits and improvement in critical biomarkers of inflammation.1,2
Of the approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. with SCD, almost all (94%) are Black. SCD occurs in one out of every 365 Black births. The life expectancy for people with the most severe form of SCD is 30 years less than those without the disease. Introducing a novel dietary management approach to SCD like Altemia provides new options for vulnerable patient populations.
“Our exclusive distribution agreement for Altemia extends Pentec’s market-leading position in medical foods for rare diseases, and furthers our commitment to addressing underserved areas of clinical nutrition,“ said Matthew Deans, president and CEO of Pentec. “The SCD community is one of the most underserved in healthcare and we are committed to simplifying the challenges of this and other rare diseases by ensuring health equity and access to healthcare services. Our expertise in navigating the complexity of insurance coverage, product distribution and clinical support will be vital as Altemia becomes broadly available in 2024.”
Adding Altemia as a new medical food to Pentec’s offerings builds on the company’s foundation of excellence in patient-specific compounded, sterile medications and nutrition therapies delivered by highly skilled nurses, pharmacists and dietitians, and supported by a dedicated patient services team that removes barriers to care.
- Daak, A. et al. (2020). Biochemical and therapeutic effects of Omega-3 fatty acids in sickle cell disease. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 52, 183-188.
- Wandersee, N. et al. (2015). Dietary supplementation with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) increases red blood cell membrane flexibility in mice with sickle cell disease. Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 54(2), 183-188.
About Pentec Health
Pentec Health is committed to solving and simplifying complex care challenges to better meet patient and provider needs. Pentec’s unique solutions, based on empathy, technical expertise, and clinical collaboration, deliver exceptional results through proven delivery models that reduce administrative burdens and improve outcomes through trusted, long-term relationships. Pentec Health serves more than 11,000 patients living with complex medical conditions, with care provided across the nation by more than 350 clinicians.
About Lobe Sciences Ltd.
Lobe Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing patient-friendly, practical psychedelic medicines. The Company, through collaborations with industry-leading partners, is engaged in drug research and development using sub-hallucinatory doses of psychedelic compounds and the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness. Each of our New Chemical Entities, L-130 and L-131, are being developed to address unmet medical needs in neurological therapeutic applications.
Pentec Health Contacts
Media: Jeremy Krick
Vice President, Marketing
(224) 483-4419
Julia Cremin
(331) 333-2928
