Willow Biosciences Inc (TSE:WLLW) (OTCQX:CANSF) has said it is boosting its commercial operations and R&D teams as the company starts to commercialize its biosynthetically-produced cannabinoids.
The firm has scaled up its lead program, cannabigerol (CBG) to start manufacturing the highly valuable and rare cannabinoid at a commercial level.
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Willow told investors that its R&D teams are now focusing on developing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) programs for commercial manufacture, and is looking at harvesting other rare cannabinoids such as cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), and Cannabinol (CBN).
As a result of these activities, Vancouver-based Willow said it had expanded its Vancouver and Mountain View, California teams to include manufacturing, quality and regulatory groups, along with additional R&D scientists that focus on strain optimization and process development.
Willow now has 55 employees, 42 of which are in technical roles, it added.
READ: Willow Biosciences CEO Trevor Peters discusses how biosynthetically produced cannabinoids could shake up the cannabis industry
As for its intellectual property position, Willow told shareholders it has filed “multiple” patent applications for its proprietary genes, proteins and microorganisms to use in its biosynthetic process.
The firm’s proprietary biosynthetic process “transfers” the genetic information of the plant into yeast, creating a miniature factory that increases cannabinoid production and allows for efficient large-scale manufacturing. The process results in higher purity product, at lower cost, with significantly less environmental impact.
The first group of patent applications will be published later this year with subsequent patents publishing on a continual basis, Willow said.
The company also said it had established an Environmental, Social, and Governance committee comprised of senior-level employees to oversee its sustainability efforts. Priorities in 2021 and 2022 will include ESG strategy development, data management on identified safety, environmental, and social KPIs, target-setting, and internal and external stakeholder engagement.
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