AkPharma Inc. is the maker of the OTC dietary supplement, Prelief®. Over the years AkPharma and its predecessor companies introduced SugarLo®, the first name brand low sugar ice cream, Lactaid®, the first lactose-reduced line of dairy products and Beano®, the famous tablets that let you eat beans and vegetables without distress.
Lactaid is now the world leader in the lactase enzyme modification of milk, milk products, and other lactose-content foods and drugs. Lactaid treated milk is consumed approximately three million times a day in the U.S. This is in addition to the many lactose-content foods whose consumption is made possible by Lactaid Tablets. The Lactaid brand was acquired from AkPharma by McNeil Consumer Products Division of Johnson & Johnson in 1991.
In 1990, AkPharma brought you Beano, the digestive enzyme for better digestion of numerous vegetables. Beano was developed after AkPharma’s in-depth investigation into gas-causing vegetables, drawing information from many academic and U.S. Department of Agriculture sources. The safe digestive enzyme isolated as a result of this search is now the largest consumer product of its kind, known by its light-hearted brand name, Beano. Like Lactaid, it is a staple in the antacid and anti-flatulent departments of drug and food markets throughout the United States and elsewhere in the world. The Beano brand was acquired from AkPharma by Block Drug Company, now part of GlaxoSmithKline, in 1997.
In 1995 AkPharma discovered the unique uses of calcium glycerophosphate as a food
de-acidifier. The product was introduced as Prelief brand over-the-counter tablets in 1996 and it is now marketed as a non-drug answer to the discomfort caused by high-acid foods and beverages. Prelief has found special uses in the diets of persons with food acid aggravated conditions that can result in heartburn, urinary/bladder problems and other food acid-triggered physical events. Many U.S. and international patents have issued and are pending for this remarkable product.
In 1990, AkPharma introduced a special lactose reduced pet milk, primarily for dogs and cats, which are, like humans, intolerant to lactose as adults. With its 100% lactose removal and the added essential amino acid taurine for the health of cats’ eyes, heart and muscle, this product, CatSip®, quickly became and remains the #1 product of its kind in the U.S. This delicious nutritional snack for everyone’s companion animals is produced in a dairy deep in the heart of western U.S. pastures and contains only three ingredients: Grade A milk, lactase enzyme and taurine; it is ultra-pasteurized and packaged in sterile cartons for long fresh shelf life without refrigeration, until opened.
AkPharma Inc. has its office and main production facilities in Egg Harbor Township (Pleasantville), New Jersey. AkPharma has been involved in the research, support and licensing of various medical patents in cooperation with major medical institutions in the U.S. AkPharma has also been active in charitable and pro bono activities in the U.S. and foreign countries, including Russia and Central America.
