Lonza signs agreement with Canadian plant extracts

Canadian life science company, Fytokem Products Inc., a developer of therapeutic plant extracts and bioactive molecules, announced that it has signed a product development and licensing agreement with Lonza Inc., the US subsidiary of Swiss chemicals company Lonza Group Ltd. The two companies will collaborate on the development and commercialisation of a variety of natural chemical products and formulations based on plant-based bio active extracts. "The Lonza Group is the second industry leading chemical supplier to partner with us,"​ said Art Hesje, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fytokem. "Plant-based bio-actives are an area of interest for Lonza,"​ commented Allan Kushins, Vice President, Marketing for Lonza Performance Chemicals." We believe the plants from the Canadian prairie offer us an opportunity to develop new active ingredients and Fytokem has a very promising library of botanicals in this area. Their science is impressive, and they have a low-cost commercialisation process which adds to the appeal of their compounds,"​ he added. Fytokem Products Inc. is involved in the commercialisation of novel Function-Certified™ plant-based substances - extracts, phytochemicals and bioactive molecules - for use as ingredients in personal care, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and bio-industrial products, both domestically and internationally. The company has developed a proprietary commercial scale manufacturing process.