Localisation and education: New venture seeks personalised solutions to address disease-related malnutrition in India

This partnership aims to tailor medical nutrition to the unique needs of Indian patients, many of whom suffer from malnutrition due to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Medical nutrition plays a key role in supporting these patients by addressing their specific dietary requirements, as standard diets often fall short.

“Medical nutrition is not for the healthy population – it’s for patients who have a nutritional need that cannot be met with a normal diet. ​

“It’s medical retailing because our products should be used under medical supervision. This is why we need to go through channels that are managed by healthcare professionals,”​ said Dr Rolf Smeets, managing director at Dutch Medical Food.

By leveraging Pristine Pearl’s network to major hospitals, healthcare centres and pharmacies, Dutch Medical can ensure that nutritional solutions reach the right people in the right places.

“Our partnership with Dutch Medical Food aligns seamlessly with our unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare outcomes in India. Together, we aspire to deliver cutting-edge nutritional solutions that meet the critical needs of patients, ensuring they receive the best possible care,”​ said S M Ayoob, managing director of Pristine Pearl.

To achieve this, raising awareness among healthcare professionals remains one of the top priorities.

“Education is key. We need to ensure that doctors understand the crucial role medical nutrition plays in improving patient outcomes. This is a global issue, but it’s especially important in India,”​ said Dr Smeets.

Dr Smeets emphasised that both companies will collaborate on educational initiatives, with Dutch Medical training the Pristine team to further educate others. This includes participating in conferences and offering continuous medical education (CME) modules, both in-person and online, to increase understanding of disease-related malnutrition and its treatment options.

Tailoring nutrition for Indian patients​

One of the critical challenges in India is the high rate of malnutrition among hospitalised patients – around 40% – and within the community, where 25% suffer from disease-related malnutrition, said Dr Smeets.

This issue significantly affects health outcomes, leading to higher rates of infection, complications, and hospital readmissions.

Based on Dutch Medical Food's research in India, survival rates for paediatric cancer differ greatly between Western Europe and India. In Western Europe, about 85% of children diagnosed with cancer survive. However, in India, this figure drops significantly, ranging from 25% in rural areas to around 50% in cities like Mumbai.

Much of this disparity is attributed to differences in supportive care, with proper nutrition being a key factor in helping patients maintain immune and muscle function. This same nutritional gap also affects adults with serious diseases, highlighting a significant need for improved medical nutrition in India.

Effective medical nutrition can therefore make a crucial difference.

Dutch Medical Food aims to address specific nutritional needs rather than offering complete meal solutions, which can often be difficult for patients to consume.

For example, products containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals sometimes face patient compliance challenges. Not all patients are able to tolerate a complete meal for healthy adults due to issues like nausea or the side effects of their disease.

To solve this, Dutch Medical focuses on providing personalised solutions tailored to individual patient needs.

“Very often, it's the protein need that requires attention, so we don't add unnecessary fats or carbohydrates. We focus solely on delivering the right amount of protein,”​ said Dr Smeets.

Dutch Medical Food is also developing formats that make consumption easier for children.

For example, the company has launched a fat emulsion that can be mixed into drinks or yoghurt, making it much easier for kids to consume.

The emulsion uses medium-chain triglycerides, commonly used for fat malabsorption or ketogenic diets, which are important for patients with epileptic seizures.

Another format is a high-protein mocktail that delivers 20 grams of protein in just 100 ml, offering a convenient and enjoyable way for patients to meet their nutritional goals.

“People enjoy mocktails and juices, and we wanted to create something that allows them to have that experience while also meeting their protein requirements,”​ said Dr Smeets.

In addition to innovation, taste plays a key role, as optimising patient compliance is critical to ensure ingesting the appropriate amount of nutrients.

Enhancing compliance by customising tastes and flavours​

“There are many solutions available, but if patients don’t take them, the benefits are lost. We focus on how to make sure patients stick with the treatments, ensuring they achieve the best clinical outcomes,”​ says Dr Smeets.

Dutch Medical Food is creating more appealing formats and flavours, especially for Indian consumers.

“We've introduced a pineapple guava flavour for our protein products, which is much sweeter and better suited to Indian preferences. We also offer neutral versions that can be mixed with regular food, allowing patients to maintain their usual diet while getting the extra nutrients they need,”​ said Dr Smeets.

Dutch Medical Food has also enlisted a chef with an Indian background to develop recipes using these products, integrating them into local dishes such as curries. The idea is to help patients incorporate medical nutrition without deviating from their daily meals.

Dutch Medical and Pristine Pearl are also conducting several clinical trials in Indian hospitals to ensure that their products are effective for local patients.

The partnership is also working to extend its reach to rural areas, where malnutrition rates are often even higher. By leveraging Pristine Pearl’s network of hospitals and healthcare centres, Dutch Medical Food hopes to make its products accessible to those who need them most.

Global parallels in patient needs​

While the flavours and preferences vary, patient needs remain largely the same across countries.

“For example, whether a cancer patient is in Singapore, India, or China, their nutritional needs are quite similar. The differences lie in affordability and awareness, not in the nutritional requirements of the patients themselves,”​ said Dr Smeets, who is working on conducting a trial focusing on protein intake in cancer patients.

According to international guidelines, when cancer affects metabolism, the recommended protein intake nearly doubles.

“Typically, the requirement is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day; for example, a person weighing 100 kilograms needs 80 grams. However, this increases to 150 grams for cancer patients. Unfortunately, many of these patients experience decreased appetite and various issues that can deter them from eating, often influenced by the type of tumour,”​ Dr Smeets explained.

This global understanding is key to Dutch Medical Food’s strategy, as they aim to make medical nutrition accessible in diverse markets across different regions.