Willow Biosciences Inc. announced a multi-product development and licensing partnership with Laurus Labs. Through this partnership, Willow will leverage its AI-driven technology platform and extensive experience in enzyme, strain, and process engineering to deliver biobased processes for high-value Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) with existing markets, including Willow's BioOxiTM-based corticosteroid processes, for large scale manufacturing, sales, and distribution at Laurus. Willow and Laurus expect these first programs to reach commercial manufacture in 2025.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Willow expects to earn significant annual revenues in research & development and royalties, including $4.0 million in guaranteed research & development payments in year one. Upon commercialization of the APIs, Willow will receive an annual royalty based on worldwide sales. Laurus recognized the need to employ more sustainable methods to manufacture its APIs with reduced cost and less waste and thus, identified Willow's expertise and, specifically, its AI-driven BioOxi platform, for developing transformative bioprocesses to key APIs.

This new partnership will start with the continued optimization and scaling of Willow's BioOxi platform, along with development of new processes for targets within Laurus' API and other ingredient portfolios. Willow's BioOxi biological hydroxylation platform solves for selective C-H hydroxylation at industrial scale ­ often referred to as one of the Holy Grails of chemistry. BioOxi-enabled biomanufacturing of ingredients can remove multiple chemical steps and significantly reduce cost and resources.

With its large agreement to-date, this multi-product agreement adds both near-term R&D and long-term commercial upside to Willow's already robust and growing pipeline of commercial opportunities in food, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.