Carbiotix samarbetar med Balsgård Foodtech
Lundabolaget Carbiotix samarbetar med Balsgård Foodtech för att accelerera uppskalningen av CarbioAXOS, en ny generation av prebiotiska fibrer. Carbiotix håller nu på att upprätta sin produktionsanläggning i Bjuv med sikte på att färdigställa den i början av nästa år. BioStock kontaktade Carbiotix vd Kristofer Cook för en kommentar.
Spotlight-listade Carbiotix utvecklar CarbiAXOS, nästa generation av prebiotiska modulatorer som ska ingå i kosttillskott och livsmedel och på sikt även i medicinsk mat och i medicinska behandlingar. Som ett led att nå en storskalig fiberproduktion har Carbiotix inlett samarbete med svenska Balsgård Foodtech för en accelererad produktionsprocess.
Carbiotix samarbetar med Balsgård för påskyndad process
Balsgård Foodtech är experter inom processteknik i livsmedelssektorn, produktutveckling och analys av nya livsmedel och har sitt ursprung i Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet. Tillsammans med Carbiotix ska man öka takten i CarbioAXOS-produktionen på FoodHills anläggning i Bjuv.
Produktprover till expertpanelen
Produktionsanläggningen är under uppbyggnad och Carbiotix har meddelat att fas 1 kommer att vara klar i början av nästa år. Carbiotix samarbete med Balsgård ska dock syfta till att Carbiotix inom kort ska kunna producera tillräckligt med produktprover för inlämning av bolagets första GRAS Self affirmation-protokoll.
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe)-beteckningen krävs för att en ingrediens ska få ingå i livsmedel eller kosttillskott i USA. Carbiotix kan uppnå GRAS-status genom att låta en expertpanel granska CarbiAXOS, och för detta krävs alltså produktprover.
Läs mer om Carbiotix GRAS-process och marknadsplan här.
Kommentar från vd
Med anledning av beskedet om samarbetet med Balsgård Foodtech ställde BioStock några frågor till Carbiotix vd Kristofer Cook.
Kristofer, you stated that the phase 1 at your production facility will not be finished before the end of the year, can you explain what phase 1 means?
– Phase 1 refers to the process equipment that is required to extract the AX soluble fibre and enzymatically treat it to produce AXOS. We have for the time being decided to outsource the spray drying of the AXOS end-product, working instead with a dependable local partner.
– The rationale for this is that spray drying equipment is by far the largest capital cost connected to our process. Thus, delaying or eliminating this investment makes economic sense, especially as the margins of our end product allow for spray drying to be outsourced. This a smart decision at the current stage and a strategy we will continue with in the short term and with development products.
– To answer the natural follow up question, phase 2 refers to the expansion of the first site from up to 10 tons of end product per year to up to 100 tons per year, something that we will start with in 2022 as previously communicated.
– We will also continue to evaluate the need for a pilot scale spray dryer and whether it makes economic sense given our scale-up ambitions and the local partners we have found to date. I fully believe in our current strategy which also sets the stage for further collaborative and co-investment opportunities, and thus will naturally lower the risks and investment requirements to achieve the same goals. A classic example of a win-win scenario, something that shareholders should be interested in.
Does this mean a delay in your product road map for 2022?
– The product road map that was recently communicated is based on the aforementioned model of collaborating with partners regarding non-IP sensitive process steps and future potential investments. Thus, there will be no delay.
– I am confident that the partnerships we establish in the coming years will actually lead to an acceleration of our product road map, lower capital investments for Carbiotix, while still maintaining our target margins across modulator products. I truly believe that the greatest shareholder value will be created by being humble and understanding our core strengths, partnering when it makes sense, and being extremely aggressive to capitalise on new opportunities.
How will Carbiotix benefit from working with Balsgård Foodtech?
– As I explained in our latest press release, working with Balsgård Foodtech will allow us to produce, at an industrial scale production site, the samples that are required for the completion of the GRAS Self Affirmation dossier. A safety analysis of five representative samples is needed for the completion of the dossier prior to submission.
– This is a no brainer given that our site at Food Hills will not be completed before the end of the year, saving us roughly 3 months in the regulatory process. Of course, this experience with Balsgård Foodtech also sets the stage for potential future collaborative opportunities as we build out our prebiotic product portfolio. Being a “young” process company, we are hungry for knowledge and experience, and Balsgård Foodtech can definitely provide both, along with the other technical consultants we have been fortunate to form business relationships with thus far.
What will the Balsgård collaboration mean in terms of financial impact for Carbiotix?
– As I mentioned in our latest press release, working with Balsgård allows us to accelerate the submission of our GRAS Self Affirmation dossier. Of course, the sooner the dossier is submitted, the sooner we can have the dossier reviewed by the external expert panel, and the sooner we can acheive GRAS Self Affirmation status and begin to sell CarbiAXOS, initially targeting a nutraceutical ingredient for the US market.
– Thus, one can argue that the Balsgård collaboration will allow us to reach market sooner, in this case, by 3 months. I am however sure that the collaboration will also lead to other product opportunties in the future, something that would have been less likely without this initial collaboration.
Se även Kristofer Cook presentera Carbiotix under BioStock Life Science Summit 2021 här.
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