LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 11, 2025--
Contract research organisation (CRO) Citruslabs says UK health and wellness brands must prioritise science-based products that can evidence their efficacy in the face of shifting customer and regulatory trends.
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Citruslabs, one of the leading CROs for consumer brands in the US, is expanding its services to the UK, which has a health and wellness sector valued in the region of £200 billion.
Susanne Mitschke, CEO of Citruslabs, said: "Scientific validation is no longer a luxury for brands who want to stand out because it’s becoming essential for consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, and their purchasing decisions against the backdrop of creeping regulation. By making high-quality research more accessible in the UK, we’re aiming to help brands build credibility, navigate complex regulatory landscapes more efficiently, earn consumer trust, and drive long-term success by giving them a competitive edge.”
The UK’s wellness market ranks fifth globally, including key segments like physical activity, personalised medicine, supplements, and personal care. CEO Mitschke says clinical validation is increasingly required to meet consumer expectations and regulatory standards.
Susanne Mitschke added: “When you think about a supplement, there is too much focus on the ingredients, but savvy consumers now expect to be much better informed on the efficacy. So, the wellness brands really need to sit up and take notice, and invest in research which will give their products a stronger foundation for growth.”
McKinsey & Company’s Future of Wellness survey in 2024 stated that “consumers are taking greater control over their health - and expect companies to provide effective, science-backed solutions,” with McKinsey noting that many wellness products are emerging with “limited clinical research or credibility.” The consulting firm believes seven wellness subsets - including women’s health, weight management, and in-person fitness - are optimal for innovation and investment activity over the next few years.
Susanne Mitschke continued: “As the UK wellness market evolves, brands need research solutions that are both rigorous and accessible. We are able to tailor research to brands, ensuring research aligns with each brand’s goals, budget, and regulatory needs.”
In its own study of over 1,000 US and international health and wellness consumers last year, Citruslabs found that 93 percent of Gen Zs and Millennials trust more in products labelled as “clinically proven,” 92 percent prioritise clinically tested products, and 91 percent of respondents are more likely to try a new wellness product if it makes specific claims about its benefits.
Citruslabs’s decentralised approach streamlines localised participant recruitment and data collection, while offering flexible study designs - including randomised controlled trials, single group clinical studies, and consumer perception studies.
Citruslabs’s customer base includes Heights, Superlativa, Your Super, Love Wellness, Mario Badescu, Supergut, Arrae, Air Up, Manuka Health, Beekeepers, and Equine 74.
For more information: www.citruslabs.com/uk-clinical-trials
Susanne Mitschke, CEO of Citruslabs (Photo: Business Wire)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Late in games, Gabby Williams starts counting. She constantly computes math in her head, all while handling the pressure of being the one to regularly take big shots for the Golden State Valkyries.
Better Williams than coach Natalie Nakase, that's for sure.
“What’s her obsession with math?” Nakase inquired when told about Williams' process.
“I don’t do math. I do more like coverages and schemes and seeing people’s energy and more connectivity with our group. That’s all Gabby. I’m not that smart. I’m not doing math out there. I didn’t do math since the UCLA days.”
Whatever it is that Williams does, it's working well during her first playoff run with the Valkyries after coming to the Bay Area for just this: a chance at a championship. Golden State leads the Atlanta Dream 1-0 in their best-of-seven WNBA Finals.
Even members of Golden State's athletic training staff have noticed Williams making her mental notes down the stretch.
The veteran guard scored 26 points in a 68-64 Game 1 win Saturday, missing her initial four shots before scoring 16 of her 26 points in the second quarter. She was the only Valkyries player in double figures as Golden State shot 32.1% and 7 of 33 from 3-point range.
“Yeah, same thing, doing math,” Williams explained of her mindset. "One of our trainers, she was like, ‘In the fourth quarter, you always do this thing and I know you’re going to start taking over, you look at the clock.’ And I’m like: ‘Yeah, I’m counting. I’m counting possessions, I’m counting points, what do we need now, what’s the most timely time to go.’
“I think it’s just like the best way to kind of take the pressure off things, too, is just to break them down possession by possession.”
The Dream had been outstanding down the stretch during their first two series, both sweeps, to reach the franchise's fourth finals. Yet Atlanta is still yet to win a finals game.
Coach Karl Smesko can't wait for his team to find a way to bounce back Monday night. Atlanta shot 2 for 19 in the fourth quarter.
“I just think we need to maintain how we want to play for a whole four quarters. We had a couple dry spells where we just weren’t working together as well as you need to against this defense. They are not just going to give you easy shots,” he said. “So we are going to need to work together to create these advantages.”
Execution is especially challenging in the hostile environment that is Golden State's deafening “Ballhalla” sellout home crowd — with rally towels waving and thunder sticks cracking all game long.
While Smesko was pleased with how the Dream handled the noise, he will challenge his players to communicate even better next time out.
“I thought the environment was great. I thought the crowd was great. They were loud. They were cheering at all the right times,” Smesko said. “But I think when we had a breakdown, it was something that we worked on and we just would have a miscommunication or something like that. ... When we have an opportunity to finish a game, we’ve just got to do it.”
Nakase challenged her team's loyal, violet-loving fans once more to bring all their energy again Monday.
“Great job but hey, level up, right? Like we’ve got to go Game 2, it has to be better. We’re going to ask more from our players. So I’d say, check for Game 1,” she said. “Let’s get a better Game 2. Rest and recover, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and guard Rhyne Howard react toward officials during the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Golden State Valkyries, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen, left, celebrates with forward Laeticia Amihere (3) and guard-forward Kaila Charles as Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) walks toward the bench during the second half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) shoots against Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) during the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams celebrates after Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Atlanta Dream, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams celebrates after Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Atlanta Dream, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
