During a recent ceremony in Chicago, Saanroo’s Levagen+ was named the winner of the Innovation in Women’s Health Award at the NutraIngredients-USA Awards, with judges recognizing the ingredient’s strong clinical research, innovative non-hormonal approach to women’s health and versatility across multiple delivery formats. The judges also highlighted the ingredient’s growing body of evidence, fast-acting benefits and proprietary technology as key factors behind its win.
For Saanroo and Gencor, the recognition validates years of investment in research around palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endocannabinoid-like compound formulated with LipiSperse dispersion technology to improve bioavailability.
“This recognition is a proud milestone for our team,” said Ramasamy Venkatesh, managing director of Gencor Pacific. “Winning the NutraIngredients Award validates our focus on delivering high-impact, science-driven solutions tailored for women’s health. It energizes our entire organization to continue advancing research, pushing product boundaries and delivering exceptional value to our brand partners and consumers.”
Addressing the women’s health gap
According to John Quilter, CEO, Saanroo, Levagen+ was developed to address a longstanding need for effective, non-hormonal solutions that can help women manage discomfort without targeting hormonal pathways. He explained that rather than attempting to alter hormonal pathways, Levagen+ acts as an endocannabinoid system mimic that targets pain, inflammation and stress at the cellular level.
“What sets Levagen+ apart is its ability to deliver high-potency PEA with enhanced bioavailability via LipiSperse cold-water dispersion technology,” Quilter said. “This translates into fast-acting, science-backed relief backed by robust clinical study endpoints—including significant reductions in menstrual pain severity and analgesic reliance during dysmenorrhea, as well as statistically significant decreases in stress, anxiety, and cortisol levels in women.”
Expanding the science
While Levagen+ has established evidence in areas including pain and inflammation, Venkatesh told NutraIngredients the company continues to broaden its research program.
“The science behind Levagen+ is continuously expanding as we invest in rigorous, placebo-controlled human clinical trials to further map its multi-pathway benefits,” he said.
Research underway is exploring additional therapeutic applications, optimized dosing strategies and combination formulations, while also investigating how improved bioavailability through LipiSperse technology may enable faster onset of action and lower effective doses.
What’s next for Levagen+
Saanroo plans to expand both the clinical evidence base and commercial applications for the ingredient.
Future studies will investigate PEA’s potential role in physiological stress resilience, autonomic balance and sleep support in female cohorts across different life stages.
On the commercial side, Saanroo is working to extend Levagen+ into new delivery formats, including ready-to-drink beverages, functional gummies, orally disintegrating tablets and liposomal topical applications.
“Our goal is to empower brand partners to build multi-functional women’s health products that seamlessly integrate fast-acting, science-backed relief into daily routines,” Quilter said.
