Willow Biosciences Inc. (TSX:WLLW, OTCQX:CANSF) has provided an update on cannabigerol (CBG), the company's first commercialized functional ingredient in its portfolio.
"As we expand our portfolio of products and partnerships, we also remain committed to maximizing the value of our first functional ingredient, CBG, through continued development, operational improvements, and marketing efforts," Willow's interim president and CEO Dr Peter Seufer-Wasserthal said in a statement.
"We remain optimistic on the future opportunity for CBG and other cannabinoids and will be well-positioned to capture that value as the markets develop," he added.
READ: Willow Biosciences reports significant progress in 2Q, ends quarter in strong financial position
Willow said it has completed the initial phases of technology transfer to a second Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) to increase the fermentation capacity to produce its FutureGrown products, including CBG. Willow anticipates running the first commercial batches in the first half of 2023.
The company said it continues to supply CBG, through its first CDMO, Curia Global Inc - formerly Amri - to current and potential partners worldwide to support the development of their formulations in various health and wellness markets.
It is also refining and advancing its industry-leading downstream process to bring down costs and to provide it options to work with additional CDMOs in the future.
“As the market for biosynthetically-produced CBG continues to develop, Willow will be in a strong position to deliver commercial scale volumes. When the regulatory environment permits, Willow is also well-positioned to develop additional cannabinoids beyond CBG,” the company said.
Willow noted that it is in the process of securing a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation for its FutureGrown CBG product. To that end, the company has successfully completed the Stage 1 toxicological assessment for oral product applications, which concluded that FutureGrown CBG caused no adverse effects and is non-mutagenic, non-clastogenic and non-genotoxic.
“This is the first step toward GRAS designation in the United States,” Willow added, saying that it anticipates initiating the pivotal Stage 2 toxicological assessment in the third quarter of 2022 in order to attain an independent conclusion of GRAS in the first half of 2023.
On its patents applications, Willow said it has filed 12 to-date and will continue to do so for its proprietary genes, proteins, and micro-organisms and their use for the biosynthetic production of cannabinoids and other ingredients.
Willow develops and produces precision fermented functional ingredients for the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets. Its FutureGrown biotechnology platform allows for sustainable large-scale production.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com