Yuhan Yanghang Elena Newly Establishes 'Women's and Vaginal Health Probiotics' Market

75 Million Capsules Sold Since November 2015 Launch
Using Urex Probiotics Individually Approved by MFDS

Yuhan Corporation Elena.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The domestic probiotic market is perceived as a 'red ocean.' With numerous pharmaceutical and food companies entering the market, various gut health probiotics are being sold, and the perception that 'probiotics = gut health' has become so strong that it is difficult to highlight any special points.

In the saturated probiotic market, Yuhan Corporation has newly pioneered the 'female' probiotic market. In 2015, it became the first pharmaceutical company to introduce UREX probiotics, a vaginal health strain, and began selling under the brand 'Elena.' Since its launch, up to March this year, over 2.5 million bottles, equivalent to 75 million capsules based on daily intake, have been sold. Elena recorded sales of approximately 21.4 billion KRW last year, a 135% increase compared to the previous year. Especially, compared to the sales of 400 million KRW at the time of its launch in November 2015, it has grown by an astonishing 5250%.

As it has become known that probiotic intake helps manage vaginal health, the growth trend of the female probiotic market is expected to continue for the time being. Professor Lee Seul-gi of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kyung Hee University Hospital stated, “For maintaining a healthy vaginal environment, if the normally existing bacteria called 'Lactobacillus' disappear, anaerobic bacteria such as fungi and protozoa proliferate in their place, which negatively affects vaginal health. Since a major cause of female diseases such as vaginitis is lowered immunity, maintaining hygiene, getting sufficient rest and sleep, and consuming rich nutrition with regular lifestyle habits are key to disease management and prevention. Also, supplementing the lost beneficial vaginal Lactobacillus through functional food intake can prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria,” she advised.

Yuhan Corporation’s Elena is the first domestic product to use UREX probiotics, an ingredient individually approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and it can help both gut and vaginal health when taken. UREX probiotics were created by combining two patented Lactobacillus strains, 'R-1' and 'RC-14,' isolated from the human body by Chr. Hansen, one of the world's top three probiotic companies based in Denmark.

These complementary strains are designed to reach the intestines without being destroyed by stomach acid and bile, and after passing through the digestive tract, they settle inside the vagina via the anus and perineum, creating an environment rich in beneficial bacteria. The product uses a patented container that maintains probiotic efficacy consistently even during long-term storage while being convenient to carry, and improves ease of intake with a once-daily single capsule. Human application tests targeting women have shown that it helps the normal recovery of vaginal flora and can aid vaginal health.

A Yuhan Corporation representative said, “Elena plans to continue approaching customers with pride as a leader in female probiotics and with high-quality products to repay the growing love and interest from customers.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.