The Evolution of Prysm
Research Centres & Laboratories
We at Pharmanex take pride in our strengths of several state of the art laboratories and 75 in-house scientists networked with over 150 world-class scientists representing world class institutions from across the globe. Pharmanex Research Centers and Labs include:
Center for Anti-Aging research (Provo, Utah)
The Pharmanex Research Institute in Provo, Utah opened in December 2001. Encompassing 16,000 square feet, the facility includes a research library and state-of-the-art scientific equipment. The Provo Research Institute was established to conduct in-house research and development, quality assurance/quality control, microbiological testing and analytical methods development. To reflect the company's commitment to consumer education, the institute features informative product displays and large, internal "picture windows" that allow visitors to view the scientific process firsthand. The institute collaborates closely with other Pharmanex® research sites and personnel interchange through different communication and training programs.
Pharmanex Beijing Clinical and Pharmacology Centre
The Pharmanex Beijing Clinical & Pharmacology Centre is actively engaged in research to determine the pharmacology-toxicology, the clinical benefits and mechanisms of the clinical benefits of natural products. The center occupies 8,000 square feet of lab and office space. Eight of them have >20 years of research experience in biology related fields. The center plays a major role in the Pharmanex clinical and pre-clinical research and product development. As a part of the Pharmanex 6S® Quality Process, the Beijing center is involved in all aspects of the selection, safety, and substantiation phases.
Pharmanex Shanghai Research and Development Centre
Established in 1996, Pharmanex Shanghai Research and Development Centre was originally located in modern state-of-the-art laboratories on the campus of Fudan University. In 2002 the Pharmanex's first research and development facility in China was relocated to the Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. The center occupies 12,000 square feet of lab and office space and is staffed with 33 research scientists, more than half of them are PhDs and MSs. The center is responsible for information and intelligence analysis, natural product chemistry, manufacturing process development, and analytical science in support of quality assurance. The center is directed by Dr. Min Li, one of the most prominent medicinal natural product scientists in China.
6S Quality Process
Pharmanex uses proprietary technology in its manufacturing processes to maintain tight quality controls through all stages of product development. The key to consistent quality is the Pharmanex® 6S® Quality Process, the basis of the company's pharmaceutical approach to product development.
Selection
To locate the botanicals with the most effective health-promoting properties, Pharmanex employs teams of experts from the United States and Asia. These teams conduct exhaustive research? compiling, reviewing, and summarizing historical use and current intelligence about a botanical's properties and health benefits. Pharmanex also conducts original research to identify new botanicals, coordinating with noted professionals from around the world. Only botanicals that pass extensive Pharmanex tests for authenticity, usefulness, and safety are considered.
Sourcing
Once Pharmanex decides to proceed with a particular botanical, a team investigates potential sources of the botanical and conducts exhaustive analyses on samples from each source. Sources may be domestic or international and may include Pharmanex cultivation areas in China and Chile. Pharmanex chooses a supplier based on the quality and concentration level of the active ingredient(s) present in samples from that source.
Structure
Using state-of-the-art analytical techniques and working in collaboration with respected universities and laboratories in both China and the United States, Pharmanex conducts structural analyses of the natural compounds present in the selected botanical. These analyses isolate and purify specific chemical structures in standardized extracts, a critical step in ensuring a safe and effective botanical.
Standardization
Wide variations in active ingredients are characteristic of any botanical. For example, when Pharmanex analyzes potential Ginkgo biloba leaves, studies reveal the concentrations of active components will vary by as much as 300 percent depending on season, climate, soil, method of harvest, storage conditions, and processing. Pharmanex optimizes the active ingredients of a product through strict, proprietary standardization processes (to at least one relevant marker molecule). Each capsule of a Pharmanex® product contains the same amount of each active ingredient.
Safety
Pharmanex is leading the way in establishing strict standards to ensure the safety of its products. Scientists research and document the history of a product's use and safety. Pharmaceutical-grade tests for the presence of microbes, toxins, and heavy metals are carried out for all products. The active ingredient amount used is based on dosages found effective through clinical trials and is backed by published data on file at Pharmanex. Each product label contains directions for use and contains appropriate warning information.