VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Willow Biosciences Inc. (“Willow” or the “Company”) (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQX: CANSF) is pleased to announce that it has commenced its 500 liter pilot production run to deliver samples of its first cannabinoid, cannabigerol (“CBG”), in Q3 of 2020.
“This is a significant milestone for Willow and is a result of 16 months of hard work and scientific breakthroughs from our science team,” said Trevor Peters, Willow’s Chief Executive Officer. “We will be the first company to biosynthetically produce material amounts of cannabinoids when our samples of CBG are ready in Q3 of this year. This pilot is ahead of schedule in part due to our industry-leading science team, but also due to strong demand from major global consumer packaged goods entities. In our discussions with companies manufacturing consumer products with cannabinoids as ingredients, it is clear that there is significant demand for ultra-pure, pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids.”
The Company announced last month that, in collaboration with its development partner, Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (“AMRI”), it would be commencing its 500 liter pilot run to produce samples of CBG in Q3 2020. The seed train for inoculating the pilot fermenter at AMRI’s facility was initiated Monday with our proprietary yeast strain to start the week long production process. The produced material has been earmarked for multiple companies interested in ultra-pure cannabinoids that are free from contaminants, including THC.
CBG is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid with early research suggesting it has a range of bioactive properties in the body that include anti-microbial and antioxidant functions. From early discussions with key stakeholders in the nutraceutical, personal care, food and beverage industries, we believe that CBG has the potential to be as impactful to the recreational, health and wellness landscape as cannabidiol (“CBD”) has become, and this will pave the way for other cannabinoids to enter the marketplace based upon the distinct differences in how they function in the body as well as their applicability to product formulation. “To a very large degree we will look upon this time as a watershed moment for our industry. We will finally be able to pivot to a variety of cannabinoid choices that best match our customers’ needs. Through our manufacturing methods we can achieve these solutions, and continue to assure our customers of category-altering purity, quality and safety,” said Dr. Chris Savile, Willow’s Chief Operating Officer.
While CBG cannot be produced in appreciable quantities in the plant, Willow’s proprietary yeast production process is expected to be able to produce commercial quantities. We anticipate being able to commercialize CBG in the first half of 2021 and the Company is in the process of selecting its manufacturing locations, from which it can reach both local and world markets.
About Willow Biosciences Inc.
Willow is a Canadian biotechnology company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that produces high purity, plant-derived compounds that provide building blocks for the global pharmaceutical, health and wellness, and consumer packaged goods industries. Willow’s current focus is in the production of cannabinoids for the treatment for pain, anxiety, obesity, brain disorders, among other significant indications. Willow’s science team has a proven track record of developing manufacturing technologies for high purity compounds in pain and cancer treatments. Willow’s manufacturing process creates a consistent, scalable and sustainable product that allows for the discovery and development of new life changing drugs. www.willowbio.com
