BASF : launches Hepaxa as first dedicated product in the U.S. to help patients manage Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, and ANN ARBOR, MI, February 22, 2018 -BASF Corporation is introducing Hepaxa™, a product that can help tens of millions of patients manage Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease. Providing highly concentrated and pure eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Hepaxa is the first product in the U.S. specifically designed to address a buildup of fat in the liver, known as steatosis, in NAFLD patients. Hepaxa will be distributed nationally through DIEM Labs, LLC.

Studies have shown that NAFLD patients are deficient in EPA and DHA. Hepaxa increases the levels of these important fatty acids in the blood, which improves the liver´s ability to process excessive fat stored there while inhibiting the conversion of dietary carbohydrates into fat.

A 2017 BASF study has shown that Hepaxa is effective and safe in the dietary management of NAFLD patients. BASF plans to publish the clinical results of this product-specific human intervention trial in the second half of 2018.

Hepaxa is manufactured using a patented purification technology removing persistent organic pollutants and other unwanted lipids such as cholesterol, which are naturally found in all fish oil-based products. Research has shown that one specific pollutant, PCB 153, is particularly harmful to NAFLD patients. The liver function of NAFLD patients is compromised and it is important to avoid additional exposure to unwanted components of traditional fish oil.

'BASF's launch of Hepaxa is the result of our research and development efforts targeting liver health, where we are capitalizing on our unique scientific competencies,' says Christoph Garbotz, Head of Commercial Management Advanced Health Solutions, BASF. 'With NAFLD rapidly becoming a major public health concern worldwide, we are proud to now offer this first-to-market, dedicated solution for NAFLD patients in the U.S.'

'Hepaxa is uniquely positioned to support the dietary management of steatosis in NAFLD patients,' says Tim Prince, Director of Sales at DIEM Labs. 'Healthcare providers are continuously looking for an adjunctive treatment to exercise and weight loss therapy to recommend to their patients. Hepaxa can now be used to begin turning around NAFLD in as little as six months.'

Hepaxa is available as a medical food product in the U.S. to NAFLD patients 10 years and older for use under physician supervision. Physicians and healthcare professionals may request clinical support literature and product samples, and patients can gather information to share with their physicians, at www.Hepaxa-USA.com.

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About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

About DIEM Labs
Diem Labs is a specialized medical food company committed to providing clinicians and consumers with clinically validated solutions for underserved and emerging health conditions. Formed by an international partnership of scientists, producers, and veterans of the US healthcare industry, Diem Labs is driven to supply safe and effective nutritional products that are supported by rigorous scientific evidence and meet the highest quality standards. Diem Labs' directors bring over 60 years of combined experience serving practitioners and patients through physician-direct and consumer-direct channels. Through strategic partnerships and proprietary development expertise, Diem Labs is dedicated to providing healthcare practitioners, patients and consumers with exclusive, effective solutions that address common challenges not met by products currently available in the healthcare marketplace.