Arctic Bioscience

What Arctic Bioscience does

Arctic Bioscience AS is a Norwegian biotechnology company that develops, manufactures, and markets pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products derived from bioactive marine membrane lipids extracted from Norwegian herring roe. The company operates two business units on a shared proprietary extraction platform: a pharmaceutical pipeline led by HRO350, an oral investigational drug candidate for mild-to-moderate psoriasis that has completed a Phase IIb HeROPA study with statistically significant effects on systemic inflammation and favorable safety signals, and a commercial nutraceutical business under the ROMEGA brand offering premium phospholipid-bound omega-3 supplements (including Romega Brain, Romega Prenatal, Romega Eye Health, and Romega Skin Refine) with a unique 3:1 DHA to EPA ratio. Technology differentiation rests on 30+ years of know-how in extracting bioactive compounds from MSC-certified Norwegian spring-spawning herring, supported by issued patents including U.S. Patent No. 11,135,230B2.

The company generates revenue through three channels: B2C subscription sales of ROMEGA capsules in Norway, B2B bulk ingredient and finished-goods sales to dietary supplement manufacturers globally in Europe and the Americas, and B2B2C finished-goods distribution in China and Southeast Asia through a strategic partnership (upgraded to a joint venture in January 2025) with Kotler Marketing Group. Arctic Bioscience completed a NOK 300 million private placement and listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under ticker ABS on February 24, 2021, with subsequent long-term financing rounds in January 2025 (NOK 30M) and April 2026 (NOK 23M) to fund HRO350 development and operational scaling. The company is building a state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility at its Ørsta, Norway headquarters to internalize production. Pharmaceutical revenue from HRO350 remains pre-commercial, with a target market of more than 20 million mild-to-moderate psoriasis patients in the USA and EU-5 representing an estimated $1B+ annual opportunity, while leadership (CEO Christer L. Valderhaug, CFO Jone R. Slinning) and a board including pharmaceutical industry veterans from GSK and AbbVie are positioning for eventual commercialization.

Name

Arctic Bioscience

Legal name

Arctic Bioscience AS

Website

https://arctic-bioscience.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arctic Bioscience is a Norwegian biotech that develops pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products from proprietary phospholipid extracts of Norwegian herring roe, commercializing the ROMEGA omega-3 brand globally while advancing HRO350, an oral drug candidate for mild-to-moderate psoriasis, through late-stage clinical development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Biotechnology / Nutraceutical Ingredients

NAICS

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAJAKAC

Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Nutraceutical & Functional Ingredients (Vitamins, Minerals, Omega-3s, Botanicals)

SECONDARYAFAJALAK

Omega-3 & Marine/Algal Lipids (EPA/DHA Oils, Concentrates)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Fats & Oils Ingredients (Edible Oils, Specialty Fats, Lipid Systems)

SECONDARYCRADAOAL

Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/CPG Ingredients, Flavorings & Additives Brands

SECONDARYCRADAOAJ

Proteins & Functional Nutrition Ingredients (Plant/Animal Proteins, Collagen, Amino Acids)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/CPG Ingredients, Flavorings & Additives Brands

Keywords

• Marine omega-3 supplements
• Phospholipid-bound omega-3
• Psoriasis drug development
• Herring roe extracts
• Biotech marine ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Ørsta

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Nutraceutical B2B Bulk Sales: Sale of high DHA marine omega-3 phospholipid extracts and proteins derived from herring roe as bulk ingredients to other companies making dietary supplements, sold globally to customers in Europe and the Americas.
2. Nutraceutical B2C Subscription: Direct-to-consumer sales of ROMEGA branded finished goods (capsules) on a subscription basis, primarily in Norway, with expansion planned internationally.
3. Nutraceutical B2B Finished Goods: Sale of finished nutraceutical products under the ROMEGA brand to business customers and distributors, including products like Romega Prenatal, Romega Eye Health, and Romega Brain Health sold in China through e-commerce platforms.
4. Pharmaceutical Development (Future): Revenue anticipated from commercialization of HRO350, the investigational oral drug candidate for mild-to-moderate psoriasis, pending successful clinical trials and regulatory approval from EMA and FDA. Market opportunity estimated at over $1 billion annually.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arctic Bioscience develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products derived from bioactive marine membrane lipids extracted from Norwegian herring roe. Its pharmaceutical work centers on HRO350, an oral phospholipid-esters drug candidate in Phase IIb (HeROPA) development for mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Its commercial nutraceutical business sells premium omega-3 supplements under the ROMEGA brand — including Brain, Prenatal, Eye Health and Skin Refine capsules — in phospholipid-bound 3:1 DHA:EPA form, both as finished consumer goods and as bulk ingredients to dietary supplement manufacturers worldwide.

Product overview

Arctic Bioscience operates two distinct business units built on a shared proprietary technology platform: a pharmaceutical business developing HRO350, a novel oral drug candidate for mild-to-moderate psoriasis derived from herring roe phospholipid esters; and a commercial nutraceutical business selling premium omega-3 products under the ROMEGA brand including bulk ingredients and finished goods (Romega Brain, Romega Prenatal, Romega Eye Health, Romega Skin Refine). The pharmaceutical and nutraceutical operations share in-house R&D capabilities and a proprietary production process for extracting bioactive compounds from Norwegian herring roe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROMEGA: Premium Omega-3 phospholipid extracts and proteins derived from herring roe, sold as dietary supplements globally in both bulk and finished goods
• HRO350
• Romega

Products and services

• HRO350 Investigational oral drug candidate derived from herring roe oil containing phospholipid esters with anti-inflammatory properties, in clinical development for the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Aimed at pharmaceutical partners and (after approval) patients with mild-to-moderate disease.
• ROMEGA premium omega-3 supplement brand Premium omega-3 food supplement brand built on Arctic Herring Caviar products, delivering phospholipid-bound DHA and EPA for enhanced nutrient uptake supporting heart, brain, and eye health. Sold direct to consumers via subscription in Norway and through B2B channels and channel partners internationally.
• Romega Brain B2C omega-3 brain-health supplement containing high levels of DHA from herring roe phospholipids to support cognitive function. Sold via subscription in Norway and through Chinese e-commerce channels via Kotler Marketing Group.
• Romega Prenatal Omega-3 prenatal supplement containing DHA from herring roe for prenatal development support, distributed through e-commerce platforms in China via the Kotler Marketing Group partnership.
• Romega Eye Health Omega-3 eye-health supplement formulated with DHA from herring roe phospholipids, deployed via e-commerce platforms in China through Kotler Marketing Group.
• Romega Skin Refine Skin-care product under the ROMEGA brand launched in 2025, leveraging herring caviar oil's benefits for skin health as an extension of the company's phospholipid-based nutraceutical portfolio.
• B2B bulk marine omega-3 phospholipid ingredients High-DHA marine omega-3 phospholipid extracts and proteins derived from herring roe, sold as bulk ingredients to dietary supplement manufacturers in Europe and the Americas for incorporation into their own formulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 2b HeROPA study showed statistically significant effects of HRO350 on reducing systemic inflammation in patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis, especially in patients with lower baseline inflammation.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smerud Medical Research InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2021Three-year agreement worth NOK 75 million signed on March 3, 2021 for Smerud to conduct the Phase IIb clinical study (HeROPA) for HRO350 in mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Smerud has significant experience with clinical studies in psoriasis and coordinates with clinical sites across multiple countries.
• Kotler Marketing GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Strategic sales and marketing partnership established in 2019 with Kotler Marketing Group as the company's sales and marketing partner for greater China. Kotler distributes Romega products through multiple e-commerce platforms in China and supports market entry and efficient growth in the region.
• Smerud Medical Research International (Extremely Premature Infants)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Smerud to develop a new drug candidate for normal brain development in extremely premature infants based on phospholipid esters from herring roe. Research to be conducted in collaboration with specialist clinics in Nordics, Europe, Canada, and USA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aker BioMarine: Norwegian marine biotech producing Superba krill oil—a phospholipid-bound omega-3 ingredient from Antarctic krill. Closely comparable to Arctic Bioscience in raw-material origin (sustainable marine source), phospholipid-bound omega-3 technology, and B2B ingredient supply model alongside consumer brands.
• Golden Omega: Peruvian omega-3 EPA/DHA concentrate producer serving branded dietary supplement and functional food customers. Comparable as a mid-scale B2B omega-3 concentrate/ingredient supplier targeting nutraceutical buyers globally.
• Wiley's Finest: Premium omega-3 supplement brand with focus on high-quality fish oil products for brain, heart and prenatal health. Comparable as a direct consumer-side competitor to ROMEGA in the premium omega-3 DTC and retail channel.
• Carlson Labs: Long-standing U.S. family-owned omega-3 supplement brand offering premium fish oil, cod liver oil, and specialty omega-3 products. Comparable as a branded premium omega-3 competitor with overlapping target health uses (heart, brain, vision).
• Epax (Pelagia): Norwegian omega-3 EPA/DHA concentrate producer owned by Pelagia, supplying ingredient and pharma-grade omega-3 globally. Comparable to Arctic Bioscience on Norwegian origin, B2B concentrate supply, and pharma/nutraceutical dual-channel exposure.
• Nordic Naturals: Premium omega-3 supplement brand emphasizing quality and triglyceride-form science. Comparable as a direct competitor in the premium omega-3 consumer category where Arctic Bioscience's ROMEGA competes on phospholipid-bound differentiation.
• KD Pharma Group: Omega-3 EPA/DHA concentrate manufacturer serving pharma and nutraceutical customers. Directly comparable on B2B phospholipid/omega-3 ingredient production and contract manufacturing for similar customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• BASF (incl. former Pronova BioPharma): Through Pronova BioPharma (acquired 2012), BASF produces pharmaceutical and nutraceutical-grade omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil, including the branded Omacor/Lovaza prescription product. Comparable on pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 manufacturing, with much broader portfolio and scale.
• dsm-firmenich (incl. Veramaris): Global ingredients company with major omega-3 EPA/DHA capabilities and Veramaris (algal omega-3 joint venture). Overlaps with Arctic Bioscience in B2B omega-3 ingredients and aquaculture/nutritional phospholipid applications, but at significantly larger scale and across many adjacent categories.

Emerging players

• Marinomed Biotech: Austrian marine-derived biotech developing pharmaceuticals and consumer health products using marine compounds. Comparable to Arctic Bioscience on marine-source biotech platform and dual pharma/consumer commercialization model, though with a different raw material base and respiratory focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcticbioscience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arctic Bioscience