OptiBiotix Health PLC (LON:OPTI) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary ProBiotix Health Ltd. has signed a licencing agreement with Granja Pocha S.A.for the inclusion of ProBiotix's patented probiotic strain LPLDL into a functional yogurt product in Uruguay, South America.
The life sciences business – which is developing compounds to tackle obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes – said that, under the agreement, SACCO S.r.l., which helped develop the yogurt formulation, will supply ProBiotix's cholesterol and blood pressure-reducing probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum LPLDL under a non-exclusive licence to Granja Pocha for inclusion into fermented milk products, such as yogurts.
READ: OptiBiotix Health and partner Agropur announce launch of SlimBiome in North American market
The company said the aim of the agreement is to maximise the financial return for both Granja Pocha and ProBiotix. It added that there are no minimum sales targets in the licencing agreement.
Granja Pocha, was founded in 1980 in the main dairy basin of the Río de la Plata, Juan Lacaze, department of Colonia, Uruguay.
Since 2013, they have sold products under the Colonial brand, including dulce de leche, cheeses, and yogurts. Granja Pocha describes its self as having become one of Uruguay's largest and most respected dairy producers over the years.
Steve Prescott, CEO of ProBiotix, commented: "We are pleased to announce this agreement with Granja Pocha, which will expand LPLDL's presence into South America and extends its use into dairy products.
“Granja Pocha was chosen as our partner to create a functional yogurt containing LPLDL because of their technical expertise in dairy, track record of successfully launching new products, and extensive knowledge of the local market. The work carried out by Granja Pocha is a significant milestone as it extends the use of LPLDL into functional foods, in this case dairy, which may be replicated in other territories.”
He added: “Functional foods like this yogurt containing ProBiotix's LPLDL provide a unique format for customer to receive the cholesterol-reducing benefits of LPLDL and capitalises on a growing industry trend towards functional foods."