Unipex Group, a manufacturer and distributor of active ingredients and specialty chemicals for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, has acquired the assets of Fytokem Products Inc., located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The acquisition is the second this year for Unipex, following that of Codibel Distribution in Belgium in March.

Fytokem specializes in the discovery and commercialization of extracts, bioactive molecules, and phytochemicals used as ingredients in personal care, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and bio-industrial products. This company, whose expertise lies in ethnobotanics, has been studying the unique properties associated with plants native to the prairies and forests of Northern Canada since 1994.

Fytokem has overseen the production, research, and development of bioactive and phytochemical ingredients commercialized by Unipex Innovations under the Tyrostat and Canadian Willowherb brands.

This transaction enriches our expertise in plant extraction, secures our supply, and provides Unipex Innovations with access to significant potential for innovation and R&D based on a database of over 400 plant extracts. Just as Unipex Innovations subsidiary Institut Européen de Biologie cellulaire (IEB) has developed and produced innovative biomimetic peptides used today by major cosmetic groups, Fytokem now provides us with major potential for future development in ethnobotanics. Consumers are increasingly seeking natural products that are safe and effective,” emphasized Charles Boulanger, president and CEO of Unipex Group in Quebec City.

No changes to either Fytokem’s facilities or current activities are planned.