Antheia Announces New Funding to Support Domestic Production of Critical Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Company awarded government project agreement to onshore key pharmaceutical supply chains, alongside strategic investment from In-Q-Tel and Echo
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken Tours Antheia, Discusses the Importance of Biotechnology Innovation in the United States
Visit demonstrates U.S. commitment to bolstering the domestic biotechnology industry and onshoring critical supply chains, including pharmaceuticals Menlo Park, Calif., May 6, 2024 – Antheia, the pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer transforming essential medicine supply chains, today hosted Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken for a tour of its state of the art labs, as well as a discussion on biotechnology innovation and leadership in the United States. During his visit, Secretary Blinken met with a panel of industry and policy experts from Atomic AI, Ginkgo Bioworks, MycoWorks, Stanford University, and Twist Bioscience. The discussion was moderated by Christina Smolke, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder at Antheia and focused on the critical role of biotechnology to U.S. national and economic security, the need for strong international partnerships to develop solutions for global good, and the urgency to maintain U.S. leadership in this critical emerging technology. “We are grateful to Secretary Blinken for his time and attention today, as well as the U.S. government’s continued commitment to advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing,” said Dr. Smolke, CEO and co-founder, Antheia. “With the ongoing support of both the public and private sectors, a future with resilient, sustainable pharmaceutical supply chains, minimal disruptions to critical drug supplies, and equitable access to essential medicines for all is well-within reach.” On September 12, 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14081, “Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.” According to the White House, “global industry is on the cusp of an industrial revolution powered by biotechnology.” As part of the scope of the biomanufacturing executive order, the Department of State is working to promote and protect U.S. technologies and the global bioeconomy. By Antheia’s estimates, advanced biomanufacturing can enable domestic production of over 50 percent of the key starting materials (KSMs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) underlying essential medicines at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional manufacturing. Antheia’s first product, thebaine, is a key ingredient used in the production of several drugs on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines lists. Antheia’s processes have been validated at scale, demonstrating this technology’s viability, commercial-readiness, and societal impact. About AntheiaAntheia is the next-generation pharmaceutical ingredient producer transforming essential medicine supply chains to end drug shortages. Using its novel whole-cell engineering approach, Antheia’s biomanufacturing platform enables the reconstruction of biosynthetic pathways of unprecedented complexity in yeast cells and the scaling of fermentation processes to commercial levels. This highly flexible approach enables on-demand, agile, and resilient biomanufacturing of critical pharmaceutical ingredients, replacing legacy approaches that cannot support the needs of modern healthcare. For more information, visit www.antheia.bio. MEDIA CONTACT: Mission North for [email protected]
Antheia and Olon Continue Partnership for Biomanufacturing Antheia’s Pipeline of KSMs and APIs for Essential Medicines
Antheia and Olon established this partnership in 2022 to leverage Olon’s fermentation sites across Italy. Olon has since played a pivotal role as a CDMO for scaling Antheia’s biomanufacturing processes and producing its Biosynthetic KSMs (key starting materials) and APIs.
Antheia Completes Successful Product Validation
Company’s first full-scale fermentation run reinforces commercial viability for a robust pipeline of Biosynthetic KSMS and APIs
Antheia Achieves Major Commercial Milestone
Company’s first full-scale fermentation run reinforces commercial viability for a robust pipeline of Biosynthetic KSMS and APIs
Antheia Appoints Richard Sherwin as Head of Commercialization
Sherwin to lead Antheia’s global sales strategy for KSM and API products Menlo Park, CA – August 17, 2023 – Antheia, the pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer transforming essential medicine supply chains, today announced the appointment of industry veteran, Richard Sherwin as SVP of Commercialization. Sherwin’s hiring comes at a critical juncture in Antheia’s growth trajectory as the company continues to rapidly scale up its early products. He will be responsible for leading the commercialization and revenue generation for Antheia’s robust pipeline of products. “As our manufacturing efforts scale to commercial volumes, Richard will be key to establishing a viable commercial path to market for our products,” said Christina Smolke, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Antheia. “Richard’s industry expertise is unmatched and he has a bold vision for transforming pharmaceutical supply chains that aligns with Antheia’s mission – I am thrilled to welcome him to Antheia.” Sherwin brings 30+ years of experience in the KSM (key starting material), API (active pharmaceutical ingredient), and intermediate markets and an exceptional track record of driving revenue growth, building strategic partnerships, and delivering innovative products to market, including ANDA (abbreviated new drug application) and NDA (new drug application) developments. Prior to joining Antheia, Sherwin served as a senior advisor for the pharmaceutical ingredients industry, and also spent over two decades working at leading global pharmaceutical companies, including Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. “I’m energized to see a company like Antheia building an innovative biomanufacturing platform that can drive supply chain efficiencies, compliance, reliability, and flexibility to levels the industry has been unable to achieve with legacy technologies and infrastructures,” said Richard Sherwin, SVP of Commercialization at Antheia. “I am proud to join Antheia at this exciting moment and I look forward to being a part of the amazing team that is paving a bold new pathway for KSM and API manufacturing.” About Antheia Antheia is the next-generation pharmaceutical ingredient producer transforming essential medicine supply chains to end drug shortages. Using its novel whole-cell engineering approach, Antheia’s biomanufacturing platform enables the reconstruction of biosynthetic pathways of unprecedented complexity in yeast cells and the scaling of fermentation processes to commercial levels. This highly flexible approach enables on-demand, agile, and resilient biomanufacturing of critical pharmaceutical ingredients, replacing legacy approaches that cannot support the needs of modern healthcare. Antheia’s team of scientists and technologists is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information, visit www.antheia.bio. MEDIA CONTACT: Mission North for [email protected]
Antheia Appoints John Nicols to Chair its Board of Directors
Antheia, the pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer transforming supply chains, today announced the appointment of John Nicols to Chair its Board of Directors. Nicols joins co-founders Dr. Christina Smolke (CEO) and Dr. Kristy Hawkins (CSO), as well as Ram Shriram and Dr. Patrick Yang on the Antheia Board of Directors.
Antheia Announces New Financing and Plans to Construct Pilot Plant Facility for Biomanufacturing
Antheia, a synthetic biology company enabling next-generation plant-inspired medicines, today announced $40 million in venture debt financing from Oxford Finance LLC and Silicon Valley Bank, alongside plans to construct a new pilot scale biomanufacturing facility.
Antheia Appoints Heidi Pucel as Chief People Officer
Antheia, a synthetic biology company enabling next-generation plant-inspired medicines, today announced the appointment of Heidi Pucel as its Chief People Officer.
Antheia Appoints Zack McGahey as Chief Operating Officer
Antheia, a synthetic biology company enabling next-generation plant-inspired medicines, today announced the appointment of Zack McGahey as Chief Operating Officer…