Photonz seeking partners to develop drug manufacturing process

New Zealand-based Photonz Corporation said its manufacturing process for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – a key ingredient in cardiovascular drugs – is nearly ready for a commercial debut.

The company has begun the hunt for potential partners to set up commercial-scale manufacturing of the ingredient.

CEO Dr Greg Collier, formerly of ChemGenex, has been meeting with interested parties at this week's Algae World Asia conference. He said the manufacturing process is on track to reach industrial-scale by the end of the year.

Eicosapentaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid used in cardiovascular disease treatments. While the ingredient is normally derived from fish oil, Photonz holds the patents to a fermentation method involving a strain of EPA-rich marine micro-algae.

Collier said Photonz' manufacturing method is more efficient, sustainable, reliable and scalable than deriving EPA from fish oil, and can produce output in purities ranging from 20% to a pharmaceutical-grade 97%.

Collier will also be meeting with prospective partners at this month's Health Ingredients Europe conference in Germany. He said the search represents the culmination of years of preparation.

“The years that we have put into developing this product, gaining IP control and up-scaling the manufacturing process to make it commercial-ready are now coming to fruition,” Collier said. Photonz was founded in 2002.

Collier was CEO of Australian cancer pharmaceuticals company ChemGenex from 2002 until 2011, when it was bought out by US-based Cephalon in a deal valued at around $225 million overall.