Willow Biosciences Inc (TSX:WLLW) (OTCQX:CANSF) (FRA:3D7) announced Wednesday that it is undertaking two initiatives to help its customers evaluate and better understand cannabigerol (CBG).
In a statement, the company said CBG is its first commercial cannabinoid that is slated for production in the first quarter of 2021.
Willow has engaged Signum Biosciences, a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative consumer products, to generate a robust safety and data package for Willow’s CBG product to demonstrate its safety and activity as a cosmetic ingredient.
READ: Willow Biosciences moves towards revenue generation as it expects first sales of CBG in the second quarter of 2021
Willow also will work with a world-renowned regulatory consulting group to perform a comprehensive safety assessment to independently conclude that its CBG is Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) for use as an ingredient in food and beverage products and support future novel food submissions in multiple jurisdictions.
"The work we are doing to study the safety and activity of CBG will help to separate us from the rest of the industry," said Willow CEO Trevor Peters. "We expect to supply our customers with highly pure product and provide them with the tools they need to create a diverse set of consumer products with CBG."
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To support product development initiatives and further expand our knowledge of phytocannabinoids, Willow said it has appointed Dr Mathias Schuetz to vice president, Plant Science. He was previously vice president, Research & Development.
In addition, the company promoted Dr Trish Choudhary to vice president, R&D, to lead the company’s yeast strain engineering efforts. She has been with Willow since April 2019 in the role of senior director, Strain Engineering and has been overseeing the research and development efforts at Willow’s lab in Mountain View, California, since joining.
Dr. Chris Savile, chief operating officer, added: "Dr. Schuetz has been leading our cannabis plant research efforts with the goal of improving cannabinoid production in our yeast strains. His new title reflects his continued focus on the plant and the company's commitment to developing our fermentation derived cannabinoids for consumer products.
“Dr. Choudhary has been the driving force behind our high throughout strain engineering efforts and is responsible for the rapid increases in performance we have achieved. She will be a valuable addition to our executive leadership team.”
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