Aker BioMarine, the biotech innovator and world's leading supplier of krill, has announced it has acquired all krill-related intellectual property from U.S. pharmaceutical company Acasti Pharma Inc.
The Norwegian firm now owns all krill-related patents, pre-clinical and clinical data, and processing equipment from Nasdaq-listed Acasti Pharma.
The transaction, announced on 24 October, is a settlement towards a contractual obligation of USD 3.1 million Acasti has towards Aker BioMarine, and has no cash effects.
Announcing the deal in a press release, Aker BioMarine said it is continuing to "consolidate all relevant krill intellectual properties (IP)", aiming to "further strengthen its leadership position" in the krill sector.
According to Aker BioMarine, the data acquired from Acasti "documents the strong cardiovascular benefits from krill oil, will further strengthen the attractiveness of Superba® krill oil in the dietary supplement market."
The acquisition of this intellectual property also gives Aker BioMarine the option of pursuing future pharmaceutical opportunities originating from Acasti Pharma Inc. However, the company says, it "currently has no plans of pursuing that option".
The news comes as Aker BioMarine has achieved several milestones during the past two months.
In September, the company opened its new krill processing plant in Ski, Eastern Norway. The NOK 300 million plant (USD 28 million / EUR 26 million) facility is producing human-grade protein made from residual raw materials from krill.
The company has also recently made advances in international government agency recognition of its products.
In August, Aker BioMarine's brain health ingredient LYSOVETA® was awarded "new dietary ingredient" (NDI) status in the USA. The following month, its Superba® krill oil was accepted as an "assessed listed" medicine in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
Aker BioMarine is a leading biotech innovator and Antarctic krill-harvesting company developing krill-derived products for consumer health and wellness as well as animal nutrition. The company has a strong position in its industry and is the world's leading supplier of krill. Aker BioMarine is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange (AKBM).
