Okopharm, the second biggest food supplement manufacturers of Austria, is planning a major foray into Indian health food supplement markets. The company has joined hands with Gurgaon based Double Green Healthcare Pvt Ltd to market Soya Plus, its leading branded health food supplement in the country. While the product has already been launched in New Delhi, it will soon be available in all major drug outlets across Indian metros.

Announcing this at a press conference, Dr Wolfgang Stelzhammer, managing director, Okopharm said that the company is looking for extensive cooperation with Indian companies for marketing its products here. Soya Plus is presently available in all drug store chains managed by Morepen Laboratories.

Soya Plus has been recommended as a health food supplement for postmenopausal women. The company claims Soya Plus capsules to be very effective in dealing with menopausal problems like hot flushes, mood swings, nocturnal sweating, sleep disorders, memory lapses dry vagina, joint pains, muscle cramps indigestion etc. "Women who are looking for natural ways to deal with the drop in oestrogen production that accompanies ageing and causes have found Soya Plus to be very effective" he said.

Each Soya Plus capsule has rich content of soy isoflavones, pollen and royal jelly and sage. While soy isoflavones supply plant estrogens without any side effects, pollen and royal jelly have a positive effect on changes on mood. Sage is a herbal remedy for hot flushes and nocturnal perspiration.

Dr Stelzhammer said that the company has sold 50,000 units of Soya Plus in Austria during the last year. They are expecting a sale of 200000 units this year in Germany, he added.

The capsules are priced at Rs 380 for 30 capsules, Dr Girish Pandit, director Double Green Health Care said. He felt that the initial response to the product has been good.

The Austrian company is also planning to enter Chinese and Korean markets with its health food products.