Mobility is evolving. Indeed, age no longer defines mobility. Today, it means freedom, performance, and active longevity. This category now spans athletes, the active population, sedentary workers, and the aging population interested in maintaining their mobility and thriving.
According to the World Health Organization, 70% of the global population exercises regularly. Training, especially when intense, may create joint issues due to inflammation. On the contrary, lack of activity negatively affects joints.
The global population is aging rapidly, with adults 60 years and older projected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050. In this context, joint issues impacting cartilage, like osteoarthritis (OA), have emerged as a leading cause of chronic disability worldwide. Currently affecting 654 million individuals and expected to surge 75% by 2050, OA represents not only a significant health burden but also consumes substantial healthcare resources, accounting for approximately 1–2.5% of Gross National Product in developed economies.
Cartilage issues and OA are now understood as a complex, multifaceted disorder involving biochemical dysregulation alongside biomechanical stress. The disease progressively damages cartilage, disrupts bone turnover, triggers synovial inflammation, and leads to osteophyte formation—ultimately resulting in chronic pain and reduced mobility. Current treatment approaches primarily focus on symptom management rather than addressing underlying causes. Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is one option as a Symptomatic Slow-Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis (SYSADOA), aiming to provide longer-term symptom relief with a favorable safety profile.
CS, a glycosaminoglycan naturally present in joint cartilage, offers health benefits through multiple mechanisms: stimulating proteoglycan synthesis, decreasing cartilage degradation, inhibiting inflammatory pathways, and promoting tissue repair (chapter 6). However, traditional animal-derived CS presents significant challenges, including inconsistent quality, ethical concerns, and variable bioavailability.
MyCondro™ for Improved Mobility
MyCondro™, developed by Gnosis by Lesaffre, represents a breakthrough as the first non-animal CS produced through patented fermentation technology. This innovative approach yields a highly pure, consistent product with optimized molecular characteristics that enhance its absorption and ensure its effectiveness. Clinical studies demonstrate MyCondro™’s superior bioavailability, with plasma concentrations 45% higher than those of animal-derived CS. In clinical trials, overweight and obese individuals with moderate OA receiving a low dosage of MyCondro™ experienced significant improvements in joint function and pain reduction, and reductions in inflammatory markers after 12 and 8 weeks of supplementation, respectively.
MyCondro™ offers a non-animal, highly bioavailable, and clinically validated alternative to traditional CS for supporting joint health, function, and pain while overcoming the limitations of animal-derived products.
Discover MyCondro™
Chondroitin sulfate has been traditionally sourced from animals, but concerns over cross-contamination and manufacturing processes, as driven demand for a non-animal source of this key nutrient. Gnosis by Lesaffre is proud to fulfill this demand with its revolutionary ingredient MyCondro™.
