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CA (BC): Canadian producer partners up with biotechnology company

ICC International Cannabis Corp. has completed a USD $1.2 million strategic investment into Biotii Technologies Corp., a private biotechnology company, based out of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

"Biotii is actively pursuing genetically engineered microorganisms that express cannabinoid profiles identical to those found in nature, at a fraction of the cost of current cannabis production methods and with more consistent production quality. Biotii is also endeavoring to replicate similar target drug molecules that cannot be easily manufactured utilizing chemical processes alone", the company explains. 

Eugene Beukman, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of International Cannabis, states: “ICC continues its pursuit of identifying and investing in cannabis technology companies. We are thoroughly impressed with the Biotii team, which consists of proven innovators from institutions, whom we believe are en route to potentially disrupt a very large part of the cannabis value chain. ICC will continue to support Biotii’s distinguished team in their pursuit to bring economies of scale using biosynthesis to the cannabis industry. This investment enhances ICC’s ability to capture significant IP and market share in the fast-developing biosynthesis market for cannabinoids”.

The company continues: "Due to recent technological advances with respect to gene editing, in-silico protein modeling and semi-automated high throughout robotics, Biotii has the foundation to expedite its molecular biology research, allowing the company to spearhead into large-scale production with a wide portfolio of intellectual property. Biotii’s evolving IP portfolio will consist of:

  • Synthetic cannabinoids;
  • Designer enzymes;
  • Proprietary enzyme pathway; and,
  • GMO microorganisms."

"Biotii’ scalable synthesizing process will enable the manufacture of lesser-known cannabis compounds, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol at materially lower costs when compared to conventional cultivation and extraction processes. Traditional cultivation of cannabis plants for the purpose of extracting cannabidiolic acid, THC and CBD is a time, labor and resource intensive endeavor that can result in depressed extraction yields of approximately 2.5%."

Also, the company points out that "An alternative tool for the production of cannabinoids is biosynthetic engineering, where single cell organisms are programmed to synthesize the enzymes for the metabolic pathway that generates cannabinoids from sugars. Biotii intends to leverage a unique system to mass manufacture large quantities of cannabinoids with a smaller environment footprint than other known methods."

By 2020, the Biotii team intends to establish processes to mass-produce CBD/THC in quantities of hundreds of metric tons per annum, which boast:

  • Stable and consistent yields,
  • Pharmaceutical grade purities; and,
  • The lowest production costs in the space.

Biotii is equipped with the human capital and industry expertise necessary to effectively implement food and pharmaceutical grade GMP practices while scaling emerging cannabinoid biosynthesis to thousands of liters in a semi/continuous environment.

"Biotii has forged mission critical relationships with leading medical research institutions in both the United States and China", the company concludes. 

For more information:
International Cannabis Corp.
Suite 810 – 789 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1H2
604 687-2038
[email protected] 
intlcannabiscorp.com  

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