Sabinsa Corporation today announced that it has secured a patent in Japan for its branded ingredient BioPerine^®, a standardized piperine composition derived from black pepper extract. Patent #3953513, Sabinsa's first in Japan, protects the use of piperine as a bioavailability enhancer and affirms that BioPerine^® is the only black pepper extract that can legally be used in nutritional supplements for the purpose of enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients.

“Sabinsa pioneered the concept of enhancing nutrient absorption and bioavailability in the early 90s with the development of BioPerine^® , and we are pleased to be able to protect this intellectual property in the Japanese market,” stated Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of scientific and medical affairs, Sabinsa Corporation. “As the population continues to age, improving nutrient absorption and bioavailability is going to become an even more critical component in helping individuals prevent disease and maintain overall good health.”

BioPerine^® is a standardized piperine composition derived from black pepper extract that has been shown in clinical research to increase the absorption of nutrients in nutritional supplement formulations. BioPerine^® and its use are protected under U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,506, 5,744,161, 5,972,382, and 6,054,585; European Patent No. EP0810868; Japanese Patent No. 3953513; and International Patents pending. In 1999, Sabinsa's U.S. Patent for BioPerine^® was runner-up for the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award, given to the most innovative patent of the year by the New Jersey R&D Council. In 2005, a related patent for BioPerine^® received the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award.

For more information on BioPerine^®
visit www.bioperine.com