On Mar. 13, Dr. Muhammed Majeed, 75, founder and chairman of Sabinsa Corporation (East Windsor, NJ), died following complications from surgery.
“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of a true visionary and our beloved Founder & Chairman, Dr. Muhammed Majeed, of the Sami-Sabinsa Group,” said Sabinsa CEO Asha Ramesh. “Dr. Majeed, a pioneer in the nutraceutical industry, passed away peacefully on March 13th, surrounded by his family and close friends. His departure marks the end of an era, but his legacy will forever illuminate the path of innovation and excellence he has laid before us.”
Majeed was born and raised in Kerala, India and received a degree in pharmacy from the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College in 1973. Two years later, he emigrated to the United States where he received his master’s from Long Island University and his doctorate from St. John’s University.
He had more than 45 years of research experience in the industry. In 1988, he founded Sabinsa, a pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredient research company. In 1991, he founded Sabinsa’s research and development company Sami Labs, merging the two as Sami-Sabinsa Group.
“Under Dr. Majeed’s visionary leadership—along with his power team headed up by Dr. [Vladimir] Badmaev, Todd Norton and Suzanne Shelton—Sabinsa went on to almost singlehandedly build the entire U.S. market for science-backed proprietary ayurvedic botanicals,” said Nutrition Industry Executive contributor and industry consultant James Gormley. “Dr. Majeed’s legacy is immense; his contributions to botanicals and nutraceuticals are legendary,” Gormley added.
Majeed also founded the Dr. Majeed Foundation, which contributes to relief efforts in India. He also received numerous awards and honors including “Father of the Indian Nutraceuticals Industry” by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, a distinguished alumni award from Long Island University and the Presidential Award from the Indian government.
Majeed’s funeral was held on Mar. 15 in Bangalore, India. His daughter, Dr. Anju Majeed, will succeed him as chairperson of Sabinsa.
