Canadian and Israeli microcap biotech company BioHarvest Sciences Inc. has launched the first cannabis and hemp compositions produced through its proprietary bioreactor process.
BioHarvest
CNVCF,
BHSC,
uses its bioreactor technology to refine beneficial compounds in cannabis into concentrated doses for potential use in medicines and dietary supplements.
According to independent third-party data cited by the company, BioHarvest has been able to boost the percentage of cannabinoids to 36%, up from the 3% found in the plant, and to increase the THC level by 83 times. It’s also able to increase more rare cannabinoids such as CBDV and THCV by 88 times and 249 times respectively, compared with a sampled cannabis plant.
The process offers the ability to combine larger doses of CBDV and THCV, including what the company says is a “unique” four-to-one blend CBD/CBDV isolate that could be “disruptive” in the hemp-based dietary-supplement market.
“This would enable new hemp-based therapeutical products, including distillates, at a federally legal nationwide level in the U.S.,” BioHarvest said. “The presence of significant amounts of all other more elusive cannabinoids could help treat ADHD, pain management issues, and anxiety.”
BioHarvest isolates trichomes, which are the resin-producing glands on cannabis and hemp flowers, and grows them in the lab. The process gives it the ability to “unlock rare cannabinoids not detectable in the plant,” the company said.
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BioHarvest’s process is also 54 times more productive per gallon of water than indoor cannabis cultivation and 8 times more productive for electricity compared with greenhouses, the company said. It offers 19 times more overall production intensity than indoor cultivation.
BioHarvest CEO Ilan Sobel said the company’s products and process open the door to “many commercial applications.”
Chris D’Adamo, assistant professor at University of Maryland School of Medicine who directs the school’s integrative medicine research center, said he’s seen “considerable success” in patients treated with CBD for pain, anxiety and stress.
BioHarvest’s ability to offer much higher doses of compounds such as THCV and CBDV is appealing, D’Adamo said.
“What got me excited was the ability to tailor the CBD,” D’Adamo said. “I am incredibly impressed with the way they could escalate the rare cannabinoids.”
D’Adamo said he was familiar with BioHarvest’s Vinia product, a dietary red grape/red wine concentrate that aims to improve cardiovascular health. The company is known for having a solid scientific team, he said.
Shares of BioHarvest are up 2% on Wednesday. The stock is down 34.9% in 2022, compared with a 28.8% loss by the Nasdaq. At last check, the company’s market capitalization was $107 million.
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