Models for the Successful Commercialization of Biological Extracts to the Global Pharmaceutical and Personal-Care Industry
ID: 3510

Abstract: The panel will focus on major commercial success based on the discovery, functional characterization, scale-up, and marketing of purified compounds and extracts from natural, biological sources. The products generate millions of dollars in revenues. The panel will focus on the discoveries, innovation, and marketing.

The panel members’ product range in chemical properties from aqueous soluble phenolic compounds from oats, lipid emulsions from safflower, and proteins from milk. Each company faced challenges in production invented new technology to solve problems. These processes operate at multi-tonne processing volumes. Each company has a unique success story.

Avenanthramides are phenolic compounds found in trace amounts in standard varieties of oats. Clinical trials identified avenanthramides as being uniquely found in oats and to be responsible for the anti-histaminic and anti-inflammatory effects historically associated with oats. Ceapro identified varieties of oats containing up to 20 times the avenanthramide and then developed processes to stabilize and extract the product with high efficiency. The result was a 20,000 times improvement of product yield.

Botaneco has developed a proprietary manufacturing process, which allows for the isolation of intact oleosomes from safflower seeds using a gentle aqueous extraction method. This process not only preserves the oleosome's structure but also preserves the naturally occurring, functional, and bio-active constituents of seed oil, including antioxidants, vitamins, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, phytosterols and other beneficial actives – all of which are often destroyed during conventional processing.

Advitech has developed through its technological platform XP-828L, a patented process to extract and concentrate the peptides/proteins including, ß-lactoglobuline, a-lactalbumine, lactoferrine, glycomacropeptide, immunoglobulines as well as the growth factors, TGF-ß and IGF-1, contained in milk-derived products like whey in order to develop a range of natural products with therapeutic properties aiming to treat immune diseases and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and eczema.



Jacqueline Shan

Afexa Life Sciences Inc. identified, developed, formulated, and commercialized a proprietary formulation of extracts from the root of Panax quinquefolius (North American ginseng). The extract is marketed under the registered trademark COLD-FX®. Afexa scientists used a patented molecular finger-printing technology, known as ChemBioPrint®, to discover and biologically standardize ginseng’s immunologically active molecules to deliver consistent, verifiable and provable formulations with proven health benefits. In 2003, Afexa Life Sciences shifted from research and development to product commercialization.

Afexa Life Sciences committed itself to rigorous product testing to develop evidence of product efficacy. A U.S. FDA regulated Phase II Clinical Trial showed COLD-FX® reduces the risk of getting a cold or flu by 89%. The company used this compelling evidence in additional to other novel promotional activities to drive COLD-FX to the top of the market for cold and flu remedies and Afexa Life Sciences to profitability and success.



Moderator: Mark Redmond, Alberta Agricultral Research Institute  (Canada)

Presenter 1: Avenanthramides: unique compounds from oats with anti-histaminic and anti-inflammatory activity
David Fielder, Ceapro Inc., (Canada)  [Confirmed]

Presenter 2: Oleosomes: Natural Oil-Bodies ontaining functional bio-active constituents 
Andrew Baum, Botaneco, (Canada)  [Confirmed]

Presenter 3: COLD-FX® – The #1 Cold and Flu Remedy Most Recommended by Canadian Pharmacists 
Jacqueline Shan, Afexa Life Sciences, (Canada)  [Confirmed]

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Panel Organizer:
Mark Redmond, Alberta Agricultral Research Institute , (Canada)

Why should your submission should be selected for this year’s program?
Noteworthy commercial success stories are few and far between in the agricultural biotechnology sector. The three panelists represent companies that have established themselves in the pharmaceutical and personal care sectors on the basis of their reputation for scientific excellence and the revenues derived from putting their science in practice.

The panel provides interest from a number of perspectives; a diversity of plant sources; significantly different products, scale of operation beyond the laboratory into dedicated extraction facilities, and all have global commercial successes at $millions in sales. Certainly great stories of success, science, scale-up, and marketing.