During the 1980s and 1990s, Blomhoff and Drevon focused on studying the metabolism and biological effects of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. Their research led to numerous publications and the education of several PhD students. Their work highlighted the increasing clinical significance of these vitamins in fetal development, cell differentiation, bone metabolism, and antioxidant defense – all crucial for the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
The rapid scientific progress gave rise to heightened demand for measurements of fat-soluble vitamins among patients with various diseases. Leveraging their expertise in measuring vitamins A, D, and E, Blomhoff and Drevon frequently conducted these analyses for clinical purposes. The rising demand spurred the idea of creating a public company in collaboration with the University of Oslo, which materialized in January 1994.
Shortly thereafter, Vitas formed a collaboration with the clinical central lab Fürst in Oslo, conducting analyses of fat-soluble vitamins and methylmalonic acid (MMA) for Norwegian primary healthcare.