Open Book Extracts (OBX) announced a commercialization and research and development partnership with Nalu Bio, a company that developed a proprietary chemical synthesis platform that produces high-quality and sustainable cannabinoids.
The partnership with OBX will allow Nalu Bio to advance its THCV production method from research and development to commercial-scale manufacturing using its proprietary and scalable synthesis platform. OBX and Nalu Bio plan to begin initial production of THCV in September 2022, with market-ready compounds available before the end of the year.
THCV will be the first cannabinoid available at commercial scale through this partnership, allowing OBX and Nalu Bio to offer the highest-quality, most consistent dosage of THCV to consumers across the globe. Both companies envision a range of additional cannabinoids to be released through this partnership. The products manufactured using Nalu Bio’s method will be a powerful addition to the current OBX portfolio, including a broad range of cannabinoids from hemp and natural sources, including CBD, CBN, CBC, CBG, CBT, CBDa, CBGa, CBDV and THCV.
“Our THCV is produced in highly scalable reactors at factory scale, using low-cost, safe and effective starting materials,” said Matthew Roberts, chief technology officer, Nalu Bio. “Nalu Bio and OBX are both innovators in their respective fields, and this partnership is mutually beneficial for two industry leaders. Nalu Bio prides itself on partnering excellence, and we’re excited to deliver high-quality, safe and low-cost cannabinoid ingredients and products to the market.”
Since its inception, OBX has taken a holistic approach to the cannabinoid industry, designing a cannabinoid ingredient portfolio to include botanical, synthetic and biosynthetic cannabinoids.
Certain jurisdictions, such as Japan, or certain industry segments, such as cosmetics, may prefer synthetic ingredients based on regulatory guidance. Synthetic ingredients offer the additional benefit of cost efficiency at scale, allowing for the production of bioidentical synthetic cannabinoids at significantly lower cost than agricultural extraction and refinement methods.
The partnership with Nalu Bio will allow OBX to provide the industry with the highest quality synthetic rare cannabinoids at the lowest cost. At the same time, OBX will continue to offer rare cannabinoids such as THCV from hemp and natural sources, to support the diverse needs of its global customers.
“I am excited about the value Nalu Bio and OBX will bring to the cannabinoid therapeutics market,” said Dave Neundorfer, CEO of OBX. “This partnership is well-positioned to meet the needs of the growing synthetic cannabinoid market and deliver potentially life-changing products to consumers worldwide.”
