Welcome to new Emergence client, zpharm

April 11, 2018

We are happy to extend a warm “EmerGence welcome” to our newest client, Waterloo, Ontario-based zpharm. Welcome to Canada’s bioscience incubation program! Learn more about zpharm here!

rsz_high_res_logozpharm is the maker of Cravv® – for smoking cessation. Cravv® is a new, “first of its kind in Canada”, natural health product designed to help reduce nicotine cravings in smokers, making it easier to quit for good.

See: Waterloo pharmacist brings new nicotine addiction treatment to Canada.

cravv bottleThe product’s main ingredient, cytisine, is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in several plant species and helps to block the receptors that recognize nicotine. In a trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, cytisine was shown to be more efficacious than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in helping smokers quit smoking.

Available online and at select Canadian pharmacies. Cravv® targets the 5+ million Canadians – roughly 17% of the country’s population – who remain addicted to the smoking habit.

The brainchild of Waterloo-based health tech startup zpharm,  Cravv® was recently approved by Health Canada as a natural health product.

Blake_Ziegler___Super_Portrait

Blake Ziegler, CEO of zpharm, has successfully gotten a natural health product (branded Cravv) approved for sale in Canada. Cravv’s main ingredient is cytisine, a promising compound that’s proven to reduce nicotine cravings and help people quit smoking.

“We are excited to bring Cravv® to those Canadians who have long struggled to quit smoking,” Dr. Blake Ziegler, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and CEO of zpharm, told us.

“Cytisine has been shown to be safe and efficacious in multiple clinical trials and we believe it represents a very attractive alternative to current therapies for the millions of Canadians who currently smoke tobacco products.”

See: New smoking cessation product launched in Canada

zpharm develops natural health products with evidence of safety and efficacy in areas of unmet need. A privately held company, zpharm was founded in 2015 by an experienced pharmacist who wanted to bring better treatment options to patients across Canada.

For more information visit www.zpharm.ca to learn about the company.