Helaina and Nestlé Partner to Advance New Bioactive Proteins for Early Life Nutrition

Helaina and Nestlé have announced a multi-year strategic innovation collaboration to explore the role of new bioactive proteins in early-life nutrition. This partnership pairs Nestlé’s expertise in infant nutrition research and innovation with Helaina’s biotechnology capabilities and precision fermentation platform. 

The collaboration focuses on early-life nutrition. In parallel, Helaina is advancing new bioactive proteins across life stages, starting with effera® human lactoferrin.

Read more about the partnership in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Nestlé and Helaina

The collaboration is part of Nestlé’s broader open innovation strategy. Isabelle Bureau‑Franz, Head of the Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nutrition & Health, said: “Nestlé has always been at the forefront of advancing scientific knowledge on key nutrients and bioactives that are important during early life, including their interactions with the gut microbiome and the immune system. Collaborations with external partners  such as Helaina, form an integral part of our broader open innovation strategy to deepen scientific understanding in this field, while gaining access to emerging technologies.”

For Helaina, the partnership represents the convergence of manufacturing scale and clinical credibility. Laura Katz, Helaina Founder and CEO, sees this combination as essential to unlocking what bioactive proteins can do for early-life nutrition, “We believe new bioactive proteins present a significant innovation in nutrition right now. At Helaina, we’re focused on manufacturing these bioactives at scale with clinical credibility and together with Nestlé we can uncover new developments that advance early-life nutrition.”

Helaina’s First Bioactive Protein: effera® Human Lactoferrin

Helaina’s first bioactive protein, effera® human lactoferrin,  is bioidentical to the human form. Lactoferrin is one of the most abundant proteins in breast milk and colostrum. Researchers have described it as a “miracle molecule”  for its multifunctional properties. It binds and regulates iron, which simultaneously deprives pathogens of a key nutrient they need to survive while supporting the healthy development of the gut microbiome. It modulates both innate and adaptive immune responses. It supports cell signaling, gut barrier integrity, and has been studied in the context of healthy aging, brain health, and inflammatory balance.

For decades, the only commercially available lactoferrin was extracted from cow’s milk. Cow lactoferrin shares only about  70% homology with the human form. These structural differences can influence how efficiently the protein is recognized, absorbed, and utilized by the human body. effera® addresses these challenges, demonstrating core advantages to the bovine form including improved biological recognition, and enhanced digestive stability and intestinal absorption. Beyond biological performance, effera® also offers advantages in sustainability and manufacturing consistency through a tightly-controlled precision fermentation process.

effera® Impact Across Life Stages

The same mechanisms that make lactoferrin essential in early life are active across the human lifespan, and Helaina is advancing effera® across women’s health, active nutrition, longevity, gut health, and hair and skin segments.

effera® is positioned to serve people their entire lives, from the first weeks after birth through every stage that follows. If you’re a brand partner or formulator building in these categories, connect with our team to start a partnership.

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