WORMERVEER, Netherlands--Lipid Nutrition, a division of IOI-Loders Croklaan Group, signed an agreement to acquire the CLA One® business of PharmaNutrients, effective Feb. 1. Gurnee, Ill.-based PharmaNutrients is divesting the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) product line to focus on other proprietary nutritional formulations. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

According to Lipid Nutrition, the acquisition will not impact any employees. Both Lipid Nutrition's North American operations in Channahon, Ill., and PharmaNutrients' warehouse and customer service facilities in the Chicago area will remain in operation. In addition, the company expects to provide faster delivery of the CLA One products to its European customers from Lipid Nutrition's Netherlands production facility.

It has not yet been determined how the two brands will be managed, whether they will continue to be marketed separately or integrated under a single brand. "We plan to evaluate the brand value and the needs of our customers before making any decisions," said John Kurstjens, marketing manager for Lipid Nutrition - Europe.

Both PharmaNutrients and Lipid Nutrition already had access to the WARF (Wisconsin Alumini Research Foundation) CLA patents covering claims related to body composition. With the acquisition, Lipid Nutrition gains access to PharmaNutrients patent portfolio, including a patent awarded last fall covering CLA's impact on preventing the stress catabolic response, and one received in the spring on use of CLA combined with glucosamine and ascorbic acid for prevention and treatment of inflammation and degenerative joint conditions.