Benfotiamine Market

The Benfotiamine market is witnessing a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period of 2025-2035. Benfotiamine is a fat-soluble, synthetic thiamine (vitamin B1) derivative, used mostly as a dietary supplement to treat diabetic polyneuropathy. Benfotiamine was synthesized in Japan in the late 1950s and has been studied for its increased bioavailability over water-soluble thiamine salts to be more efficient in raising thiamine levels in tissues like muscle, brain, liver, and kidneys.

Industrial Production:

Synthesis of benfotiamine is achieved through the acylation of thiamine, where a benzoyl group is added to create S-benzoyl thiamine O-monophosphate. This alteration increases its lipid solubility, allowing for more absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Production must be done under rigorous quality control procedures to achieve maximum purity and efficiency of the final product in line with international pharmaceutical manufacturing standards.​

Uses in Healthcare:

Benfotiamine is largely sold as an over-the-counter nutritional supplement for the management of diabetic complications, most notably diabetic neuropathy. Benfotiamine supplementation has been shown by clinical trials to alleviate neuropathic pain and other associated symptoms in diabetic patients. Its mechanism of action is to enhance intracellular concentrations of thiamine diphosphate, a transketolase cofactor, thus facilitating glucose metabolism and preventing the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are involved in diabetic vascular complications.

Outside of diabetic neuropathy, benfotiamine has been examined for its potential neuroprotective properties. Research indicates it may activate the antioxidative system in activated microglia and suppress oxidative stress and inflammation in the central nervous system. These characteristics make benfotiamine a candidate for further research in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.