WAYNE, N.J., February 27, 2004 – Nutratech, Inc. – a research-based nutraceutical ingredient supplier – filed a patent infringement lawsuit, seeking an injunction and damages, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon last week against Amax NutraSource, Inc. (Amax), a New Jersey Corporation, for supplying generic Citrus aurantium material and making claims relating to inducing weight loss in their marketing and selling materials, which can only be made by Nutratech and their customers who purchase the Advantra Z® material. In the filing, Nutratech contends that Amax has induced and continues to induce infringement of one or more of the claims protected by U.S. Patent Nos. 6,224,873 and 6,340,482, owned by Zhishin LLC and exclusively licensed to Nutratech.  Zhishin LLC is also the owner of related U.S. Patent Nos. 6,316,499; 6,340,481, which are exclusively licensed to Nutratech as well.  These patents relate to the use of Citrus aurantium, bitter orange or citrus extracts for, but not limited to:

•   stimulating thermogenesis
•   reducing weight loss
•   increasing lean muscle mass to total body mass
•   improving athletic performance and
•   suppressing appetite

 “Since patents are only as good as the patent holder’s or exclusive licensee’s willingness to devote resources to defend and protect them, Nutratech has decided to rigorously pursue suppliers who are infringing these patents in order to protect our significant research investment in Advantra Z® and our customer’s competitive advantage in the marketplace,” contends Bob Green, one of the principals of Nutratech.
  
Unlike generic counterparts on the market, most of the research on Citrus aurantium has been conducted using Advantra Z®, which utilizes optimal harvesting techniques and a proprietary extraction process to produce a truly unique amine composition.  These five adrenergic amines:  synephrine, n-methyltyramine, hordenine, octopamine and tyramine are responsible for delivering the applications protected by the aforementioned series of patents and the positive results found in the research.

“And it’s this time and cost intensive investment in a quality ingredient that we want to make sure benefits Nutratech and our customers and not suppliers of generic Citrus aurantium who choose to sell and market scientifically unsupported material while riding the coat tails of our significant investment in research and product development,” states Mr. Green. 

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Nutratech, Inc. with headquarters in Wayne, NJ provides innovative, proprietary and patented nutraceutical ingredients with efficacy claims that are supported by sound scientific research.