• 03 Jun 2024
• Admin
• News Article

Willow Biosciences Announces Licensing Partnership with Laurus Labs

Willow Biosciences announces licensing partnership with Laurus Labs for production of high-value active pharmaceutical ingredients

Overview

Willow Biosciences Inc, a leading biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing industrial manufacturing of pure, consistent, and sustainable ingredients, announced a multi-product development and licensing partnership with Laurus Labs (Laurus), a leading research-driven pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with a $3.9 billion market cap that serves global pharmaceutical companies and offers CDMO services. Laurus has commercialised 80+ products since its inception. Laurus has nine manufacturing facilities including fermentation capabilities.

Impact of This Partnership

• Through this partnership, Willow will leverage its AI-driven technology platform and extensive experience in enzyme, strain, and process engineering to deliver biobased processes for high-value active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with existing markets, including Willow's BioOxi-based corticosteroid processes, for large scale manufacturing, sales, and distribution at Laurus.
• Willow and Laurus expect these first programs to reach commercial manufacture in 2025.

Terms of the Collaboration

• Under the terms of the collaboration, Willow expects to earn significant annual revenues in research & development and royalties, including $4.0 million in guaranteed research & development payments in year one. 
• Upon commercialization of the APIs, Willow will receive an annual royalty based on worldwide sales.

Collaboration Between Laurus & Willow

• Collaboration provides Laurus access to Willow's AI-driven bioengineering platform. 
• The strategic alliance includes an initial seven high-value advanced intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients, including Willow's corticosteroid programs. 
• The agreement with Laurus is the largest collaboration agreement Willow has signed as on today.
• Laurus recognized the need to employ more sustainable methods to manufacture its APIs with reduced cost and less waste and thus, identified Willow's expertise and, specifically, its AI-driven BioOxi platform, for developing transformative bioprocesses to key APIs. 
• This new partnership will start with the continued optimization and scaling of Willow's BioOxi platform, along with development of new processes for targets within Laurus' API and other ingredient portfolios.

Willow's BioOxi biological hydroxylation platform solves for selective C-H hydroxylation at industrial scale – often referred to as one of the "Holy Grails" of chemistry. BioOxi-enabled biomanufacturing of ingredients can remove multiple chemical steps and significantly reduce cost and resources.

Words from CEO: Willow

• "We are excited to be partnering with Laurus Labs, one of the most respected and established pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers in the world. This strategic partnership is the culmination of Willow's new focus on pharmaceutical ingredients and investment over the past two years," said Dr. Chris Savile, Willow's president & CEO. 
• "We are proud our technology platform is being integrated with Laurus to support their commercialization of more sustainable, cost-effective products."

From CEO: Laurus Labs

Commenting on the collaboration partnership, CEO of Laurus Labs Dr. Satyanarayana Chava, said, "Willow has demonstrated through its bioengineering technology platform a unique capability to significantly reduce the cost of API production while enabling greater product availability. We look forward to a long and successful partnership, which we believe will further strengthen Laurus' strong reputation for market innovation."