The world seems to crash down for an individual and his/her family members when one is diagnosed with cancer. The emotional turmoil that an individual or their family endures during chemotherapy is incomparable. When a patient undergoes chemotherapy or any other treatment for cancer, there is a significant loss of body weight, muscle loss causing weakness and sometimes death. In such trying times, the patient requires nutritional supplements other than normal food to compensate for the loss of body mass. As per WHO (World Health Organization) around 25 percent of cancer patients face death due to malnutrition which is a side effect of anti-cancer therapy.In India, a visible gap exists in providing nutritional supplements for cancer patients that suit the Indian gut. Most of the nutraceuticals in India are currently imported or their international formulas are copied by Indian operators. Addressing this gap of cancer nutrition, Esperer Onco Nutrition was found.
Esperer Onco Nutrition – its inception
Founded in 2018, by Raktim Chattopadhyay, Esperer Onco Nutrition Pvt Ltd, is India’s first healthcare startup that offers cancer nutritional products which are designed as per the Indian digestive system to give a better quality of life to the patients. The nutraceutical products are aimed at curbing cachexia -a medical condition in cancer that causes 25-30 percent of the body’s weight loss and provides resilience to the body that counters heavy chemotherapy tests.
What difference is Esperer Onco Nutrition making?
The onco nutritional supplements from Esperer cater to the three different stages of cancer treatment which are preparing the body before treatment, during treatment and after the treatment. They also have different product lines for sufficing the general nutritional needs.
Health Supplements:
Es- Fortitude provides nourishment, protection and supports recovery
Es- Invigour, a base formula, aims to ensure optimal efficacy in response to therapies in cancer disease management.
The products are generally in powder form that can be easily consumed by diabetic patients and lactose intolerants. The supplements are fortified with prebiotics or probiotics and milk protein to help the patients maintain their nutrition intake and evade weight loss. Patients can consume the nutrition orally as well as through ryles tubes.
Esperer Onco Nutrition: Eyeing the overseas markets
In 2020, Esperer Onco Nutrition had raised funds from Zenfold Ventures. With the fresh funding raised, it plans to expand in the US and European Markets, and hire more professionals for managing finance, marketing and supply chain functions. Renowned hospital chains such as Apollo and Fortis have a tie-up with EON ( Esperer Onco Nutrition) to procure products directly.
What is in it for the startups?
In general, the cost of the nutrition supplements incurred by a patient is approximately around Rs 10,000 to Rs 16,000 per month. If the consumption shoots up or if a cross-subsidy is extended by the government, then the cost can be reduced, which makes it affordable. As per Persistence Market Research, by the end of 2026, the global market for anti-cancer drugs is expected to be at US $227,192.2 Mn and will be expanding at a CAGR of 7.4% over 2018–2026. Hence, the startups who will be entering the sector to provide anti-cancer drugs and supplements have a high chance to expand in the overseas markets.
