- Hyaluronic Acid - I am also in your home
- Hyaluronic Acid- Everywhere in your body
- Hyaluronic Acid- This is what I am!
- Hyaluronic Acid- How I work in your body
- Story Time
Story Time
1. How did "Hyaluronic Acid" get its name?
Hyaluronic acid was first isolated from the bovine vitreous body in 1934 by Dr. Karl Meyer, a professor at Columbia University in the US. The name “hyaluronic acid” is derived from “hyaloid”, which means vitreous body in Greek, and uronic acid, which is found in large quantities in the vitreous body. Since 1986, the word "hyaluronan" has also been used by the international nomenclature of polysaccharides.
2. How does “Hyaluronic Acid” form?
Hyaluronic acid is a linear polysaccharide. It has a repetitive structural unit composed of the disaccharides N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid. Hyaluronic acid in our bodies generally exists as a high molecular weight of several million times, and has not been shown to have structural differences in different animal species.
3. An Injured Racehorse Sheds Light on a Medical Use of Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection.
The development of hyaluronic acid as an intra-articular injection started with a racehorse. We cannot explain “how intra-articular hyaluronic acid was developed” without the story of an injured racehorse. The racehorse was on the verge of retirement, due to inflamed joints caused by a lot of hard racing. Amazingly, following hyaluronic acid injection to its inflamed knees, the horse returned to racing, and even won! That event encouraged researchers to drive for the development of hyaluronic acid injectables for human treatment.
Hyaluronic Acid and Seikagaku Corporation
Seikagaku Corporation began conducting research and development (R&D) on hyaluronic acid in 1972. We developed technologies to manufacture highly purified hyaluronic acid, based on technology we pioneered for the extraction/purification of chondroitin sulfate. We eventually launched ARTZ® in 1987, the first joint injectable in the world to use hyaluronic acid. Today, ARTZ® has successfully grown into a global product approved in 21 countries. We also have obtained approval for OPEGAN®, the first domestically produced(Japan-produced) ophthalmic surgical aid.
We keep striving through research and development to bring unique medical products to the global market with pride as a “hyaluronic acid pioneer.”
