World’s first vegan-certified paracetamol lands in Germany
London - The vegan-certified medicinal drug, Paraveganio, is the world’s first medical product to be registered with the vegan trademark by The Vegan Society.
Developed by German pharmaceutical company, Axunio, Paraveganio contains only plant-based ingredients and is the first product to be awarded the vegan certification by the Vegan Society.
The international vegan trademark recognises the fact that the drug is free from animal derivatives and was not tested on animals at any point.
By completely dispensing with animal additives, Axunio guarantees a 100 percent vegan drug, and have also had this certified by the Vegan Society as the very first pharmaceutical company in the world.
While paracetamol is one of the most popular over-the-counter painkillers in the world, many are unaware that most paracetamol products contain an animal-derived additive known as magnesium stearate.
Magnesium stearate, the magnesium salt of stearic acid, is commonly used for its lubricating properties for tablets and capsules in the pharmaceutical industry. It’s the stearic acid that is usually derived from animal fats.
Paraveganio is free from animal-based magnesium stearate and instead contains magnesium stearate derived from pure vegetable origin.
The certified vegan painkiller contains 500mg of the proven active ingredient paracetamol and just like other paracetamol products, it can be taken to help fight fevers, as well as relieve mild to moderate pain.
According to the Vegan Society, around 75 percent of the most commonly prescribed medicines in the UK contain animal-based ingredients. And of course, many more are tested on animals before being approved for use.
With the launch of Axunio’s first vegan-certified drug, they want to initiate a long-term rethink in the pharmaceutical industry. They have set an example and made conscious medication possible.
While Paraveganio tablets are only currently available in Germany, Axunio has plans to expand to other markets in the near future.
While Whittaker’s has to date sourced only Ghanaian cocoa beans to make its chocolate, it is now supplementing this with cocoa beans that meet its quality and ethical standards from other parts of Africa. Whittaker’s Chocolate Lovers will see changes to its packaging to reflect the cocoa origin change from next month.