BAT Launches Biotech Company to Accelerate the Development of Novel Medicines

BAT, a multi-category consumer goods business, has launched a biotech company, KBio Holdings, for the acceleration of research, development, and production of novel medicines that leverage plant-based technology.

According to a Jan. 7, 2022 press release, KBio will be focused on the delivery of treatments for rare and infectious diseases by realizing and expanding on the potential of the plant-based technology platform from BAT and its existing plant biologics organization, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), along with the existing clinical and pre-clinical vaccines and antibody pipeline. The new biotech will be seeking out innovative R&D collaborations and financing to expand its therapy pipeline and future portfolio. The ultimate aim will be for KBio to become financially self-sufficient.

“I am excited by the opportunity to build on the significant accomplishments made by BAT and KBP. I am confident in the potential of KBio’s powerful plant-based platform, capabilities and emerging early-stage pipeline,” said Patrick Doyle, the newly appointed CEO of KBio, in the press release. “To-date, the technology has demonstrated its ability to produce novel antibody and vaccine candidates with high purity at a fraction of the time and cost of current technologies. The speed and efficiency demonstrated by the KBio platform has significant potential. This could enable us to progress to clinical studies faster than industry norms, in the hope of delivering treatment solutions more quickly.”

“Science and innovation are fundamental to BAT and delivering on our purpose of building A Better Tomorrow. We recognize the potential of our innovative plant-based technology and have established KBio to maximise that potential,” added David O’Reilly, BAT’s director of Scientific Research, in the press release. “We are excited to see what the future holds.”

Source: KBio