When Chris MacLean describes what is driving his newly-launched brand, Yew Healthy Aging Nutraceuticals, he comes back to one core purpose: helping people enjoy their later years, and continue doing what they love.
It is a concept known as health span, the number of years that you stay healthy, independent, and fulfilled. While people are living longer than ever, MacLean says longevity does not always correlate with quality of life. To address that gap, he and his team are developing evidence‑backed supplements designed to support the body’s natural ability to age well, while minimizing ingredients and potential drug interactions.
“Living longer is a great thing, but only if you can actually enjoy those later years,” says MacLean. “We’re trying to help people take charge of their health span.”
An experienced, motivated team
MacLean is building Yew alongside a deeply experienced scientific team. His co-founders are Dr. Melanie Kelly, Peter Ford, and Matthew Allain. Dr. Kelly is a Dalhousie University professor specializing in pharmacology and ophthalmology, while Ford and Allain are pharmacists whose backgrounds span compounding, formulation, and biomedical engineering. Together, they bring decades of experience studying how the body changes with age, and how medications and supplements interact over time.
That knowledge provided the foundation to create Altheda Wellness Innovation, the parent company they co-founded in June 2023.
“We’re trying to tailor products for an aging population and do it with a safe approach,” says MacLean.
To translate their research into practical tools for everyday life, the team launched Yew Healthy Aging Nutraceuticals as their consumer‑facing brand.
The symbol of the yew tree
The brand’s name was inspired by the yew tree, a symbol that resonated with MacLean and his team.
“It’s one of the longest living trees on earth. It’s endured centuries of change by growing slowly, but can also regenerate from within,” says MacLean. “The yew tree symbolizes protection, renewal, resilience and continuity.”
Those qualities reflect how the team thinks about aging itself. Their products are designed to support, not fundamentally alter, the body’s natural ability to adapt and sustain itself, with an emphasis on scientific rigor.
Effective yet safe products
That symbolism is evident in their launch products: all of which help support long-term health and functional aging. They’ve launched with three targeted supplements available for pre-order. They’re focused on bladder health (Cranguard), eye health (Optiwyse), and brain and metabolic health (Vitalmind). Each product is formulated with intention, using dosages designed to be low yet effective, while minimizing unnecessary ingredients.
Their three launch products: Cranguard, Optiwyse and Vitalmind.
“We know that as people get older, they are often taking multiple medications,” MacLean explains. “We’re trying to limit any sort of drug interactions. It has to be the right type of supplementation.”
Educating alongside their innovation
As Yew expands, the team envisions a product line that balances condition‑specific supplements with general, preventative products that support healthy aging across a broader population.
For MacLean, bringing Yew directly to market marked a significant shift. In previous roles, his teams focused exclusively on research and product development, often licensing innovations to other companies to distribute and market.
“This time, we wanted to control the message around the products,” says MacLean. “That is very important, given how much research goes into these.”
They aim to serve as a trusted hub of information on healthy aging, including how our bodies change with time and how to proactively support that process. It’s a holistic approach which includes not just supplementation, but also the importance of sleep, exercise and diet and other factors as people age.
A collaborative, welcoming ecosystem
MacLean’s own path into life sciences was not planned. Trained as an accountant, he entered the sector by chance and quickly found himself drawn to its collaborative culture and the opportunity to learn about a new field.
“I don’t think I would ever leave it now,” says MacLean. “The community is incredibly supportive, and you are constantly learning.”
Support from Life Sciences Nova Scotia has played a key role in their growth, including access to programs, funding support, and hiring students who have helped their team build its digital presence.
Establishing Yew as a trusted partner
Looking ahead, the team will introduce additional products only once they are backed by research. They want to increase manufacturing and research capacity right here in Nova Scotia, strengthening the region’s life sciences ecosystem.
At its core, their ambition is to build credible, consistent relationships with their customers that go beyond transactional.
“I hope we become that trusted partner,” says MacLean. “I hope someone comes to our site, gathers information, engages and asks questions. We want to build it as a community.”
