Aquapharm adds to team to facilitate commercialization of marine biotech products

Aquapharm has made two major appointments to help it move closer to commercializing its marine biotech assets.

Jon Williams joins Aquapharm as business development director with a remit to explore non-pharmaceutical markets for its products in areas such as personal care, food, nutrition and industrial chemistry.

Also signing up at the Oban-based firm is Dr Lloyd Payne who becomes research director.

Payne is being charged with delivering the completion of the world’s largest marine-derived compound library which the company hopes to unveil to the market next year.

Andrew Spragg, chief executive and founder of Aquapharm, said: “Because we have this growing portfolio, we need people with specific sector experience.

“Jon’s considerable experience in the commercialisation of natural products will be invaluable.This appointment will catalyse our efforts to establish sustainable, diversified sources of revenue and act to support the longer-term development of novel pharmaceutical candidates.

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Roe of fish is best natural source of omega-3

The roe of hake, lumpsucker and salmon is the best dietary source of Omega 3, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Almería (UAL). The scientists analysed the eggs, or roe, of 15 marine animals, and found all of these contained high levels of these fatty acids, which are essential to the human body.

Until now there had been no precise understanding of the nutritional potential of the roe of marine animals, but a team of researchers from the UAL has now shown that this is one of the best natural sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for ensuring the correct development of a wide variety of metabolic functions in the human body.

The results, published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, show that Omega 3 fatty acids are present in all fish roe, but especially in the eggs of Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), squid (Loligo vulgaris), cuttlefish (Sepia sp.), lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and salmon (Salmo salar).

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Omega-3 entered into Phase 3 clinical programs in Japan

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Osaka, Japan, “Takeda”) and Pronova BioPharma ASA (OSE: PRON.OL) (Lysaker, Norway, “Pronova”) today announced that the advancement of TAK-085 (Compendial name: omega-3 acid ethyl esters 90 (Ph. Eur.)) for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia into phase 3 clinical programs in Japan.

Takeda and Pronova entered into a license and supply agreement and Pronova granted Takeda an exclusive development, marketing and distribution right in Japan. TAK-085 is a highly concentrated preparation of the ethyl esters of omega-3 fatty acids which are predominantly a combination of ethyl esters of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

TAK-085 has already been approved and is commercially available in the U.S. (marketed as LovazaTM), for the treatment of the adult patients with high triglyceride levels -and major European countries including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and U.K., for the treatment of adjuvant treatment in secondary prevention after myocardial infarction, in addition to other standard therapy (e.g. statins, antiplatelet drugs, betablockers, ACE inhibitors) and adult patients with high triglyceride levels.

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Aker BioMarine awarded public grant for research on krill oil

Aker BioMarine has been awarded a three-year NOK 8 million research grant from the Research Council of Norway’s Food Programme. The biotechnology company will use the funds to continue its ambitious documentation program on Superba™ Krill products. Aker BioMarine was one of five receivers out of an application pool of 37 companies.

The research grant allows us to further intensify our ambitious pre-clinical and clinical research on Superba™ Krill, says Dr. Hogne Vik, Aker BioMarine’s EVP of Documentation. We have been extremely pleased with the results we have seen in our research so far, and this grant contributes to even better documentation for Superba™ Krill – one of very few dietary supplements that is supported by product-specific scientific documentation.

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Marine proteins shown to be effective to support weight gain in poultry

The Bluewave Marine Ingredient company in Peru reports that they have had some successful trials using their PerfectDigestTM marine peptide to improve feed conversion and weight gain in poultry. The study, conducted at the  Bangkok Animal Research Center (BARC), showed in an 800 bird matrix that their product provided nearly a 2% FCR improvement and a 3.3% growth improvement in poultry over the initial 10 day trial.

Blue Waves products range in price starting at $1.0/kg for a liquid protein concentrate, and up to $4.5/kg for a protein isolate powder, ex-works.

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Seafood Dealers in Alabama Use Grant Money to Process Shellfish Waste

Officials say a group of seafood dealers in the Bayou La Batre, Alabama area plan to use a $3.2 million federal grant to build a seafood byproduct processing plant. The Gulf Coast Agriculture and Seafood Cooperative’s 23 crab and shrimp processors haven’t had a local place to dispose of crab and shrimp shells since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The U.S. Commerce Department said in a statement Friday that the grant will pay for an environmentally friendly 12,700-square- foot building to process the waste locally.

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New Patent for Chemical-Free Krill Oil Extraction

Tharos, a Chile-based consultancy firm,  has developed a new patent for krill oil extraction.

The chemical-free process relates to a processing layout for obtaining krill oil with  DHA and EPA in the phospholipids fraction, with astaxanthin and neutral lipids, used for human health applications, and a byproduct of the process being a low fat content krill meal.

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150mpg Algae-Powered Toyota Prius

First algae fuel-powered vehicle in the world was officially launched in San Francisco. The car, called Algaeus is a modified Toyota Prius, which derives power from green crude, from Sapphire Energy. The car runs on an astonishing 150 miles per gallon of green fuel.

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Marine Bioindustry Park in Shenzhen, China, Formally Established

A grand unveiling ceremony was held on November 18^th, 2009, marking the formal establishment of Longgang Marine Bioindustry Park in Longgang district, Shenzhen city, China. The ceremony was part of the major activities of China Hi-Tech Fair held in same city during November 16^th to 21^st.

The ceremony was co-organized by the People’s Government of Longgang District, Shenzhen Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Fishery. Li Ming, one of the vice mayor of Shenzhen, attended and addressed the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Graduate School of Tsinghua University, Xiamen University, Shenzhen Shenbotai Biotechnology Co. Ltd and Shenzhen Global Biotechnology Co. Ltd signed agreements with Bureau of Agriculture and Fishery of Longgang District, signifying their formal entry into the park.

The latter two companies run the projects of “comprehensive utilization of shrimp processing residues” and “selective breeding and pedigree foundation of Litopenaeus vannamei” respectively.

Early this year, Jaw-Kai Wang, professor of University of Hawaii and member of National Academy of Engineering, USA, has already established a Bioengineering R&D Center in the Park aiming to develop algae fuel technologies for licensing.

The Park was a constituent part of Shenzhen National Bioindustry Base. It aims to incubate enterprises, promote commercialization and foster industry cluster in the field of marine biotechnology. The key projects to be introduced into the park include:

• Comprehensive exploitation and utilization of marine bioresources: marine  pharmaceuticals, marine bioactive substances, marine biomaterials, nutritional and healthcare food, cosmetics.
• Quality detection technologies of marine aquatic products: fast detection kit and assay reagents.
• Marine environmental remediation.
• Preservation and refined processing of marine aquatic products.

Shenzhen city, bordering Hong Kong on the north, is now a metropolitan city with a population of 14 million, developed from a small fishing village just 30 years ago. The city is the window of China’s policy of reform and opening up to the outside world.

Compiled and translated by Haiping Zhang

Dr. Yonathan Zohar discusses research at Maryland Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB) in Baltimore, MD

From YouTube: Join Dr. Yonathan Zohar as he takes us on a tour of the University of Maryland Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB) in Baltimore, MD. Scientists at COMB are working on ways to create new, advanced, and more sustainable aquaculture systems in hopes of decreasing the burden overfishing has put on our fragile ocean systems.

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