From test lab to the market

Report with Dr Conor Kerley founder of Setanta Nutrition Science

The issue is that there are so many supplements available on the market with little no science behind them. During my PhD, I uncovered how plant-based food components could lower blood sugar and blood pressure.

Creating a game-changer product

I have very personal reasons to become interested in nutrition and health.

Before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003, shortly after my 16th birthday, I was hospitalised with major balance issues. It was scary enough, but there was a middle-aged man in the bed beside me, he had a stroke while playing golf. The stroke caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure left him paralysed from the neck down. Although he could talk, eat, drink and was mentally very able, he couldn't move the rest of his body. When he needed a nurse, he would ask me to ring the bell for him.

One of my aunts has a long-standing type 2 diabetes. I don't see her too often as she spends 18 hours a week hooked up to a dialysis machine in a hospital. She travels one hour to dialysis and one hour back - three times per week. Also has heart failure, nerve issues and eye problems all caused by unchecked blood sugar levels.

As a single clinician, there is a limit to how many people I can see and help in a year. With a nutrition supplement, I can help millions!

So when I came back from Australia, I completed a “Start your own business” course run by the Local Enterprise Office. I also started a new job as a lecturer but spent my evenings and weekends finding out more about building a business.

I knew there was much potential for my business idea, so I left full-time employment to create a company. That's how Setanta Nutrition Science was born.

A simple but ambitious mission

I want to provide a solution to millions of people around the world by providing nutrition supplements, based on research, to help prevent and treat diabetes, and high blood pressure.

My preliminary research in tests tubes and on myself has shown a remarkable effect. As a crazy scientist, I started with self-experimentation, assessing my blood sugar and blood pressure responses to meals with specific added components.

I noticed some beneficial components, then I tried these components together, and they have shown an even greater response!

The breakthrough: Transforming research findings into a viable product

My strength is science and research, but to make this solution widely available, I have to build a business. That isn’t straightforward and comes with lots of learning.

At the moment I have many wonderful mentors, but practically I’m the only person working full time within the business. I’m building up a team although it takes time until then I try to keep my focus on the end goals and work towards them every day. Chasing funding is exhaustive, as are other elements of starting a business by yourself.

I’m naturally energetic and enthusiastic, also eat and sleep healthy, which helps. When there is a setback or a delay, I can think of the big picture: there is vast potential to help people around the world. Lots of supports are available. The real issue is trying to find the right one.

The Local Enterprise Office Louth, Ireland was a great starting point, they have been very supportive of me and my business idea. We obtained maximum feasibility funding which is helping to accelerate the process of building a company. Besides, I won Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur in the Louth region.

This was a tough decision. It’s complicated enough to launch a business anyway and almost impossible to do while being employed. I am pleased with this decision although there are ups and downs, I am excited about the future!

Believing in the impact

Our product treats the underlying causes of diabetes and therefore, could help prevent diabetes and also treat it.

Worldwide there are 800 million diabetics and pre-diabetics at a treating cost of $727 billion. Only in Ireland, there are 250,000 people with diabetes and pre-diabetes which cost the Health Service Executive (HSE) $845 million per year.

Diabetes can lead to eye, kidney and nerve problem and even heart attacks and strokes. There are so many people at risk of diabetes that preventing or even delaying diabetes would reduce suffering and also costs.

First will target diabetes prevention and treatment, later high blood pressure. In the future, we plan to expand our focus on solutions for brain disorders such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.