Pharmaceutical products
Many important medicines are derived from animal origin and have been used as such for thousands of years. Today we know exactly what valuable substances animal organs and other animal materials contain. Innovative technologies allow us to extract these substances. Once extracted, they are used as base materials for medication and a range of dietary supplements.
Van Hessen is the only company in the world that can valorize the complete gut package (mucosa and pancreas) to an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).
Mucosa
In our gutrooms, we harvest mucosa from pork intestines. This mucosa is used for the production of heparin, medication which is used as an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Our mucosa comes to a large extent from our gutrooms, but we also purchase volumes directly from slaughterhouses in Brazil and the USA. Van Hessen is the largest collector of mucosa worldwide, and together with sister company Bioiberica we can guarantee all suppliers a reliable, continuous best in class valorization of this important raw material for heparin production.
Cartilage
Cartilage is a soft bone which is harvested out of bovine trachea, and used as a raw material for chondroitin. This medicine helps improve joint health, for example when suffering from arthritis. Van Hessen is the largest sourcing company outside of China for tracheas.
Pancreas
Pork pancreases are primarily collected for their digestive properties (i.e. breakdown of carbohydrates, sugar and lipids). Van Hessen’s produced pancreases are globally distributed to a wide range of customers, who highly value our controlled, reliable and transparent supply chain. We focus on the pancreas production in our own gutrooms, where we have influence on the quality and can guarantee full traceability because the product only passes through our own hands. The robust supply chain of Van Hessen is of essential importance for pharmaceutical customers who use the pancreas in the production of medication for patients who suffer from gastrointestinal tract disorders.
