ArtJen Complexus USA brings Canadian innovation to Detroit

For the last few decades, people jokingly talk about a magic pill that will let them eat whatever they want and not gain weight. ArtJen Complexus USA believes its principal product turns that piece of conventional wisdom from myth to reality.

ArtJen Complexus USA markets Mirafit fbcx, a weight loss pill that claims to prevent fat absorption while eating. ArtJen Complexus USA's parent firm, based in Windsor, developed a soluble fiber derived from corn that reduces the human body absorption of consumed fat. ArtJen Complexus USA claims its stimulant-free supplement can safely bind and remove nine grams of dietary fat, resulting in a reduction of approximately 3,500 calories per week, or the loss of one to one and a half pounds of body weight per week.

"Each one of our tablets will bind and eliminate 80 calories of fat," says Dr. Joseph Artiss, president of ArtJen Complexus USA and a professor and chair of Wayne State University's Dept of Nutrition and Food Science. "We recommend taking six per day."

Prof Artiss and fellow Wayne State Professor Catherine Jen launched the spinoff in 2009. The TechTown-based start-up handles the manufacturing and marketing of Mirafit fbcx. The weight-loss supplement is "allowed" by the FDA, Dr. Artiss says, adding that is the normal approval path for such a product. ArtJen Complexus USA has been able to get Mirafit fbcx into 1,000 retailers in the Midwest, including Meijer stores.

The two-person start-up has also entered the 2nd annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international business plan competition which highlights Michigan's emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem. It offers $1 million prizes, including $500,000 in seed capital cash for first place. ArtJen Complexus USA was one of the 53 start-ups to make the cut for the semi-finals.

"We're in the process of raising capital, which is why we're in the Accelerate Michigan competition," Dr. Artiss says.

Source: Dr. Joseph Artiss, president of ArtJen Complexus USA
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.