Peter Leyland, Sibelius Natural Products
Peter Leyland
Sibelius Limited
26 Beaumont St.
Oxford, U.K. OX1 2NP
Phone: +44 (0)1865 518 910
Website: www.sibeliusnaturalproducts.com
Founded in late 2015 out of Oxford University, Sibelius Natural Products supports healthy aging with branded, traceable, scientifically evidenced and clinically proven natural ingredients and products. Sibelius utilizes its patented profiling platform, Chronoscreen, which allows the rapid identification of natural ingredients that have the potential to support healthy aging at all stages of living through health span improvement. Sibelius Natural Products supports the nutraceutical and supplement industry with access to natural product screening, biological activity identification, and rapid product development.
Peter Leyland led life sciences (physiology, biochemistry and nutrition) in the Department of Agriculture at Newcastle University before joining British Sugar working for the company’s overseas division British Sugar Developments. He oversaw projects in East Africa, Syria and the USSR. Leyland then earned an MBA at Manchester Business School, writing his dissertation on the globalization of business and gaining recognition by being placed on the Director’s List.
Leyland joined Baxter Healthcare gaining experience via multiple expatriate assignments in Europe and the United States with increasing responsibilities for its Edwards, Orthopaedic, Home Healthcare, Renal Divisions and leading the Competitive Intelligence function during an 18-year career. Since then Leyland has specialized as CEO of SMEs both public and private in the U.S. and U.K. focused on the commercialization of leading-edge technologies coming out of the world’s leading research and development institutions.
NIE: Please discuss Sibelius’s Chronoscreen platform. What is it and how is it beneficial?
Leyland: Educated consumers are looking for scientifically evidenced products, even if the product has a historical use in ayurvedic, TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) and herbal medicine. This requires the brands and ingredient companies to raise the bar and merge modern science with traditional uses. Chronoscreen is a scientifically validated, patented platform that has been developed by Sibelius to test natural single-compounds and complex extracts and determine their activity and health benefits. The platform has been applied to screen over 750 natural ingredients and formulations and has enabled us to understand how our flagship product works in at least five different areas of cognition and healthy aging. Chronoscreen bridges the gap between nutraceutical R&D and the new regulatory requirements for faster, well-designed clinical trials.
NIE: What is Sibelius’ social responsibility policy?
Leyland: Sibelius social responsibility policy aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are working with the inherent gifts of nature to promote their nutritional and health benefits to the global community. We try to source and support local farms, suppliers and manufacturers. In addition, we collaborate with local institutions to support healthy living initiatives, such as mental health charities, educational grants and learning opportunities.
NIE: The company recently announced that its branded ingredient Sibelius: Sage is now available in a milled format to extend its application profile. What does this new format mean for the utilization of the ingredient into products?
Leyland: The newly introduced milled format of Sibelius: Sage has been developed to address consumer demand for new delivery options. This new format gives clients the flexibility to launch sage in many more applications than just tablets and capsules, such as ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, powder drinks, gummies, gel packs, bars, chewable and dairy products. Consumers are now able to enjoy the fast-acting cognitive benefits of Sibelius: Sage in a wider variety of products.
NIE: In 2019, Sibelius: Chamomile received Non-GMO Project Verification. What do certifications like this mean for your business?
Leyland: Consumers globally not only try to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in their food, but also actively look for non-GMO ingredients and claims on packages. At Sibelius, we are committed to transparency and want to assure our partners, clients and consumers that our natural ingredients meet the non-GMO standards and best practices. Achieving a non-GMO seal for our ingredients is an inherent part of our product launches. We started with Sibelius: Sage and have recently added Sibelius: Chamomile and will continue with our 2020 product launches.
NIE: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Leyland: Sibelius is always exploring new ways to identify and develop natural ingredients for healthy living, bringing innovation to the areas of herbal supplements and well-established alternative remedies. This includes launching novel ingredients, as well as supporting collaborations to launch finished products. For instance, we have joined with the Essential Nutrition brand for APAC/East to launch two new TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)-registered products: a new mouth-spray formulation for relaxation and stress-relief based on Sibelius: Chamomile and a highly effective supplement for men containing Sibelius: LactoMato to support prostate and male reproductive health.
