At the Center of Natural Products Expo West 2025
Natural Products Expo West is the largest trade show in the natural, organic, and healthy products industry - 65,000+ attendees, 2,800+ exhibitors, and a cross-section of the entire ecosystem from ingredient suppliers to retailers to healthcare practitioners.
Nour Abochama connected with Boiron live at the event to speak with Daniel Dereser (President & CEO, Boiron USA) and Janick Boudazin (President & CEO, Boiron Canada). Together, they represent stewardship of a brand founded in France in 1932 - now the world’s largest manufacturer of homeopathic medicines.
The conversation covers Boiron’s European origins, how Canadian and US markets differ in their approach to natural medicine, what ExpoWest 2025 showed about the direction of the industry, and the role of education in making natural health more accessible.
Boiron: From French Pharmacy to Global Natural Health Leader
Boiron was founded in Lyon, France in 1932 by twin brothers Henri and Jean Boiron. France has a long tradition of integrating homeopathy into conventional medical practice - French pharmacies have stocked homeopathic medicines alongside conventional pharmaceuticals for decades.
That cultural context shaped Boiron’s foundational commitment to quality and scientific rigor. Boiron’s production facilities operate under pharmaceutical GMP standards - the same standards required for conventional drug manufacture:
- Homeopathic Pharmacopeia compliance - HPUS standards for preparation methods, quality controls, and ingredient sourcing
- FDA registration - homeopathic drug products sold in the US are regulated by the FDA as drugs
- Good Manufacturing Practices - pharmaceutical GMP for consistency, potency, contamination control
- Clinical evidence investment - Boiron funds research to build the evidence base for specific homeopathic preparations
The Regulatory Landscape: Canada vs. United States
Canada - Natural Health Products Regulations (NHPR):
Canada regulates homeopathic medicines under the NHPR, which came into force in 2004. Products require:
- Product License with pre-market evidence review before marketing authorization
- Site License with GMP-certified manufacturing
- Evidence requirements tied to specific claim types
An NPN (Natural Product Number) or DIN-HM (Drug Identification Number - Homeopathic Medicine) confirms a product cleared pre-market review. This provides clarity for consumers and retailers.
United States - Evolving Framework:
In the US, homeopathic medicines operated under a 1988 FDA policy (CPG 400.400) that allowed marketing without pre-market approval provided certain conditions were met. FDA enforcement guidance has evolved significantly since 2017, and current policy prioritizes enforcement against specific categories (injectable products, products making serious disease claims, products with potentially harmful ingredients).
Janick Boudazin notes: “The Canadian framework, while demanding, provides clarity. We know exactly what we need to demonstrate, and consumers know what a licensed natural health product means. That clarity benefits everyone.”
Education as the Biggest Barrier to Natural Health Access
Both Dereser and Boudazin identify education - for healthcare practitioners and consumers - as the primary constraint on natural medicine’s role in healthcare.
Most medical school curricula in North America include minimal training in natural health products or integrative medicine. Physicians who did not train in this area are often unfamiliar with the evidence base and uncertain about safety interactions with conventional medications.
This creates a counseling gap: surveys consistently show 50-70% of North Americans use some form of complementary or alternative medicine, but patients often do not discuss this with their healthcare providers.
Boiron’s educational commitment includes: practitioner education programs, investment in accessible content explaining homeopathic principles and evidence, and engagement with integrative medicine training programs.
What ExpoWest 2025 Revealed About Industry Direction
Key trends visible at Expo West 2025:
Convergence of conventional and natural - major CPG players are acquiring natural brands or launching clean lines. The boundary between conventional and natural is blurring, raising the importance of standards, certification, and genuine ingredient integrity.
Regulatory clarity as competitive advantage - as consumers become more sophisticated, compliance (certifications, licensed products, third-party testing) becomes a differentiator rather than a minimum requirement.
Integration into healthcare systems - the most significant long-term growth opportunity for natural health is integration into healthcare systems: reimbursement, clinical protocols, and co-treatment models. This requires evidence investment and regulatory legitimacy.
Consumer trust as a long-term asset - brands with 30+ year track records of consistent quality have a trust foundation that cannot be replicated by marketing spend.
Key Takeaways
- Boiron operates under pharmaceutical GMP standards, significantly exceeding most natural supplement manufacturers
- Canada’s NHPR provides clearer pre-market review framework for natural health products than the US’s evolving FDA enforcement policy
- 50-70% of North Americans use complementary or alternative medicine but most medical curricula do not cover it - practitioner education is the primary gap
- Expo West 2025 trend: regulatory compliance as competitive advantage, integration into healthcare systems as the primary growth frontier
- Brands with decades-long track records of consistent quality have durable trust advantages over trend-driven entrants
This article is based on Episode 42 of Nourify & Beautify with Daniel Dereser and Janick Boudazin of Boiron. Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
