A variety of tests have shown that OxBC has various beneficial biological activities. As a readily and economically derived, concentrated mixture of ß-carotene oxidation products, OxBC is a premium product embodying the untapped potential of the many non-vitamin A carotenoid oxidation compounds we believe are the true agents responsible for the various non-vitamin A activities of carotenoids.
Chemaphor is developing a set of major, business opportunities centred on the rich, non-pharmaceutical potential of the OxBC product. Four broad, major product opportunities are envisaged flowing from the diverse but complementary biological activities of OxBC. In comparison to drug development, each opportunity offers shorter product commercialization times by requiring much less development work and being subject to less restrictive and smaller regulatory hurdles. Yet each business activity addresses global market biotechnology segments with major, multi-million dollar revenues.
Target market areas:
• Non-antibiotic feed additives for improving growth and feed conversion efficiency in production animals (e.g. poultry and swine)
• Nutraceuticals for companion animals
• Veterinary applications
• Skin care
Intended applications of products:
• Improving growth and feed conversion in swine and poultry
• General promotion and maintenance of good health in farm animals, dogs, horses and cats (companion animal nutraceuticals; feed additives)
• Control of diseases of aging (e.g., cancer) in companion animals (pet nutraceuticals)
• Anti-aging protection of skin, including protection against skin cancer (skin care and cosmetics, e.g., after exposure to sun)
• Amelioration of pre-existing skin conditions or prevention of recurrence of treated conditions (skin care and cosmetics)
• Maintaining healthy skin by providing broad, multi-level protection against various conditions (skin care and cosmetics)
A major opportunity for OxBC is as an animal feed additive, promoting growth and feed conversion. Large market opportunities for non-antibiotic alternatives are anticipated, given, for example, that antibiotic feed additives were phased out in the European Union in 2006. The feed additive market, indirectly serving human dietary needs, presents larger regulatory hurdles that may require more time and expense to traverse for product commercialization. First revenues are anticipated from the OxBC feed additive product, beginning in 2011.
In the area of pet nutraceuticals, Chemaphor's goal is to obtain entry into this rapidly growing, lucrative market with OxBC as a health-maintenance, chronic disease protecting product. The companion animal market is attractive because there is an unmet need for the type of product OxBC represents, the market is large, and it is the fastest growing segment of the animal health market, at over 6% per year. This market also poses lower regulatory hurdles to entry. The extensive array of anticancer properties of OxBC opens up new opportunities in the companion animal market, particularly for aging dogs and cats. Not only will OxBC be useful in a general way as a health promoter by enhancing the animal’s natural defences, but also more specifically in its demonstrated ability to inhibit tumour cell proliferation, tumour growth, re-differentiation of de-differentiated cancer cells, promotion of intercellular gap junction communication, and stimulation of protective enzymes.
In developing skin-care cosmetic products Chemaphor is seeking collaborations with leading skin-care cosmetics companies to explore opportunities for the use of OxBC as a high value, skin cell protection and regeneration, anti-aging agent incorporated into premium skin care products.
OxBC Biological Activity
Cancer Pharmaceutical OCL-1
Specialty Chemical
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