PR97504

LISBON, Portugal, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Hovione and Zerion Pharma A/S (Zerion) today announced an extension of their

collaboration on Zerion's Dispersome(R) technology into the

nutraceutical/dietary supplements field. Many dietary supplements suffer from

low solubility. This results in poor bioavailability and consequently limits

the physiological effect of the supplement. To overcome these limitations, the

two companies will collaborate and apply the solubility enhancing Dispersome(R)

technology for the development and commercialization of certain nutraceutical

products.

The first product candidate selected for joint development is an antioxidant

with multiple health benefits and known for its extremely low solubility and

bioavailability. By applying the Dispersome(R) technology, Zerion has been able

to demonstrate significant solubility improvements of this antioxidant. Under

their collaboration, Hovione and Zerion will now upscale and develop commercial

formulations of the antioxidant using the Dispersome(R) platform and make these

products available for distribution by partners globally. Under the terms of

the collaboration agreement, the two companies will share income from the

commercialization of these products according to their respective contributions.

In addition to the joint development projects, Zerion has granted Hovione an

exclusive license to exploit the Dispersome(R) technology for other

nutraceuticals/dietary supplements. In return, Hovione will pay Zerion license

fees and royalties on sales of the licensed products.

"The low oral bioavailability of some of the health-promoting nutraceutical

compounds is a well-known challenge. The problem is compounded by the fact that

some of the solutions used in pharma cannot be used in foods." says Jean-Luc

Herbeaux, CEO of Hovione. He adds: "Hovione is thrilled to be Zerion´s

exclusive partner for the application of Dispersome(R) to the fields of

nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. The Dispersome(R) platform and its

enabling ingredient – beta-lactoglobulin or BLG – afford formulators new

options which address unmet needs of the industry."

"I am extremely pleased with this extension of our collaboration", says Ole

Wiborg, CEO of Zerion and continues: "The Dispersome® technology is actually

very well suited for use in dietary supplements because it employs BLG as its

solubility enabling component. BLG is a sustainable natural material and in

itself a beneficial nutritional product that we source in high quality from

Arla Food Ingredients. Since we as a company only have limited resources to

exploit these promising applications of the Dispersome(R) technology in the

nutraceutical field, the collaboration with Hovione is a win/win situation."

In February 2022, Zerion and Hovione announced a strategic partnership aimed at

commercializing the Dispersome(R) technology within the drug development field.

Under this partnership, Hovione and Zerion are offering pharma and biotech

companies worldwide access to an innovative drug delivery platform combined

with an unparalleled experience in formulation development, scale up and GMP

manufacturing. This unique combination provides customers in the pharma

industry with a line of sight over the entire drug development life cycle from

the preclinical phase to commercial drug product.

About Hovione

Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a

Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully

integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate

and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA,

Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal

and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the

development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly

potent compounds, and customized product solution across the entire drug life

cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services,

from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on

innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/

Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360,

EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to

lead new global industry standards.

About Zerion Pharma A/S

Zerion develops proprietary drug formulations and offers the Dispersome(R)

technology to established pharma companies as a means to solve their most

challenging drug solubility problems. By applying the Dispersome® technology,

the solubility of poorly soluble, oral drugs is greatly enhanced, which

improves their bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes for the patients.

Zerion was established in 2019 as a spinout from the University of Copenhagen

based on almost a decade of research. (Dispersome® is a trademark of Zerion

Pharma A/S)

For more information, please visit www.hovione.com or contact:

Vanessa Romeu | Communications Director | vromeu@hovione.com |Tel.: +351 21 982

9000

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Source: Hovione