Librede Inc. Receives Patent for Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) Production in Yeast

April 15, 2019 Off By BusinessWire

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Librede, a synthetic biology company based in Southern California, has
been granted a new patent to produce tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)
in yeast. THCA is the precursor to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is
the most well-known cannabinoid; THC has been an FDA approved
pharmaceutical compound for decades (a.k.a. dronabinol). The cannabis
plant does not produce THC; instead it produces THCA, which is converted
to THC by various methods such as heating. The patent issued to Librede
shows a process for producing THCA via fermentation using baker’s yeast
and low-cost feedstocks. This patent is one of many that Librede has
been awarded surrounding the full biosynthesis of cannabinoids, such as
cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and now THC. Librede plans to
continue to expand on its IP portfolio and increase production.

Dr. Anthony Farina, Librede’s Chief Scientific Officer, states: “We have
been working on laying the foundation for a new chemical platform that
will gain access to high value natural products. This new patent, which
adds to our portfolio, demonstrates that THCA can be made using yeast,
allowing for highly pure and consistent therapeutics to be produced at
lower costs. We are working hard to improve the efficiency of our system
to streamline the production of these compounds.”

Biosynthesis of high value complex natural products offers several
advantages over agricultural production such as: consistency, supply
chain stability, large reductions in costs, and reduced carbon footprint
(less land, water, energy, no fertilizers, and no pesticides). The
ability to obtain highly pure compounds in an environmentally and
economically sustainable fashion is at the core of Librede’s mission.

Dr. Jason Poulos, CEO of Librede, explains: “Natural products have been
and will continue to be a source of valuable therapeutics. Nature is the
source, but it is not a sustainable factory. Large scale agricultural
production of low abundant chemicals can have negative effects on the
environment. Instead of using natural resources to grow massive fields
of cannabis to make cannabinoids, fermentation offers us a sustainable
solution. The future of cannabinoid production is coming into focus, and
it’s looking more and more like a brewery.”

About Librede:

Librede is a synthetic biology company that uses biologically-based
approaches to produce natural products with a focus on cannabinoids.