Herbolea Biotech Acquires Minority Stake in Agroils Technologies

Herbolea Biotech Acquires Minority Stake in Agroils Technologies to Address Growing Demand for Bio-Based, Formaldehyde-Free Resins

Florence, Italy – 12th, August 2024 – Herbolea Biotech SpA, a leading innovator in bio-refining technologies, today announced that it has acquired a minority stake in Agroils Technologies Srl, joining forces with existing shareholders JOil Pte Ltd of Singapore and business angels group Jatropha11 Srl. This strategic move is poised to strengthen the development and commercialization of Agroils’ innovative bio-based resins in the wood panel sector.

The wood panel sector is facing increasing pressure to find alternatives to petro-derived, formaldehyde-based resins. Formaldehyde has been linked to cancer in humans. Agroils Technologies is at the forefront of developing environmentally friendly and high-performance bio-based resins to address this critical industry need. 

“We decided to increase our participation in Agroils in light of the recent positive developments by Agroils in the wood panel sector, an industry that has been traditionally slow in embracing more sustainable and safer solutions. The company has been able to establish robust collaborations with leading wood panel manufacturers that are demonstrating commitment in validating Agroils' proprietary bio-resin technology.” said Giovanni Venturini Del Greco, CEO of Herbolea Biotech. 

About Herbolea Biotech

Herbolea Biotech SpA is a leading biotech company in botanical extraction. With offices in Florence and Los Angeles, Herbolea aims at providing sustainable technologies for processing plants into high quality products for various industrial applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, flavor and fragrances sectors. 

For more information, please contact:

Giovanni Venturini Del Greco, CEO Herbolea Biotech SpA 

info@herbolea.com, +39 055 031 7151

Herbolea Biotech and Laso-Bio Join Forces in Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Hemp Extraction

Herbolea Biotech SpA ("Herbolea"), an Italian biotech company leader in the development of solventless extraction technologies, and Laso-Bio, a new biotech company affiliated to leading Maroccan healthcare company Promamec, are delighted to announce a strategic partnership and licensing agreement that will shape the nascent hemp and cannabis extraction industries in Morocco.

Under this landmark agreement, Laso-Bio will gain rights to utilize Herbolea's cutting-edge extraction and purification technologies in Morocco, enabling Laso-Bio to lead the path in the sustainable hemp extraction in the region. The collaboration will leverage Herbolea's expertise and advanced technologies to ensure the production of high-quality extracts both for the internal and the international markets.

At the core of this partnership is the integration of Herbolea's pioneering technologies, Bio-Herbolysis™, Hydrocan™ and Distillac™ which enable an environmentally friendly extraction of active principles.

The Bio-Herbolysis™ technology empowers Laso-Bio to extract the full phyto-complex of the plant into a lipid base from fresh, never dried or frozen material, a process known as wet processing. This innovative approach eliminates the need for drying, preserving the plant's original attributes and enhancing the overall quality of the extracted compounds.

Furthermore, Herbolea's Hydrocan™ technology selectively concentrates cannabinoids to over 90% potency, while effectively remediating THC, ensuring compliance with the legal threshold throughout the entire extraction process. This breakthrough extraction method allows Laso-Bio to produce highly potent and compliant hemp extracts that meet the stringent European market requirements.

 

To support Laso-Bio's operations, Herbolea will deliver state-of-the-art equipment with a processing capacity of over 400,000 kilograms of fresh biomass per year, this equipment will empower Laso-Bio to conduct their extraction operations efficiently and sustainably.

 

"Laso-Bio is proud to join forces with Herbolea Biotech and introduce their state-of-the-art extraction technologies to the Moroccan hemp industry," said Hatim El Kabbaj, CEO at Laso-Bio. "This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision to drive innovation, sustainability, and superior product quality. By leveraging Herbolea's expertise and advanced equipment, we aim to become a leading supplier of premium hemp extracts not only in Morocco but also in the European market."

 

Giovanni Venturini, CEO at Herbolea Biotech, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, "We are honored that Laso-Bio has chosen Herbolea as their preferred partner for hemp extraction. Our shared commitment to sustainability and delivering exceptional product quality will undoubtedly pave the way for the Moroccan hemp industry to thrive and grow. With Laso-Bio's expertise and aspirations to export to the European market both ingredients and finished products, we are confident that this partnership will be instrumental in reshaping the hemp extraction landscape."

 

ABOUT LASO-BIO


Laso-Bio is a leading Moroccan company focused on the production and distribution of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. With a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability, Laso-Bio aims to become a leading supplier of premium hemp extracts in Morocco and the European market. Their partnership with Herbolea Biotech positions them at the forefront of the evolving hemp extraction landscape, delivering sustainable and high-quality products that meet international standards of excellence.

 

ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SpA

Herbolea Biotech SpA is an Italian biotech company specializing in licensing proprietary technologies for botanical extraction. Its innovative platform enables solventless and environmentally friendly extraction processes, preserving the plant's original phytocomplex and ensuring superior product quality. Herbolea is dedicated to promoting sustainable manufacturing and driving innovation in the hemp extraction industry. The company has signed licensing agreements with pharma companies in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Thailand, Portugal and US (New York and California).

Opening of US Headquarter

Herbolea inaugurates an R&D and operational headquarter in Los Angeles, California. In the US Herbolea has started collaborating with some of the most important Californian brands in the development of new botanical products based on its patented solventless extraction technology. The US team is led by Stewart Stinson, former VP Sales California for Columbia Care.

ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SpA

Herbolea is a biotech company envisioning the use of innovative, green technologies to obtain safe, high-quality and low-cost natural products. Herbolea's patented Bio-Refining Platform generates unique products from highly therapeutic potential botanicals in a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-competitive way. 

The company has signed licensing agreements with pharma companies in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Zimbabwe, Thailand, NY, Portugal.

Contact info@herbolea.com to learn more.

Herbolea Biotech and Iberfar Announce Strategic Partnership and Commercial Relationship

Iberfar Indústria Farmacêutica S.A ("Iberfar"), a Portuguese Pharmaceutical Group operating a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Lisbon, and Herbolea Biotech SpA ("Herbolea"), an Italian biotech company that licenses proprietary technologies for solvent-free extraction of botanicals, are pleased to announce the signing of a Licensing Agreement granting Iberfar the rights to utilize Herbolea's extraction and purification technologies in Portugal.

As part of the agreement, Herbolea commits to deliver Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant equipment to Iberfar, with the capability to process over 400.000 Kg of fresh biomass per year.

By signing this agreement, the parties aim to jointly develop the largest solventless production center in Europe, leveraging the most efficient and competitive extraction technologies, biomass of the highest quality (freshly processed, never dried or frozen), and a facility already authorized for production of a range of CBD and THC products (including under a narcotics license).

In this new partnership Herbolea will supply three core technologies: 

  1. Bio-Herbolysis™ -  a patented and environmentally friendly technology that can extract the cannabis plants' full phyto-complex into a lipid base starting from wet material. This novel process can handle fresh plant material directly, with no need to dry; saving cost, time and space. High temperatures are not utilised during the process, and thus, terpenes are fully retained. 

  2. Hydrocan™ is Herbolea's solventless and environmentally friendly technology to selectively concentrate cannabinoids to over 90% potency while simultaneously remediating THC without crossing the legal 0.2% threshold at any step of the process. 

  3. Distillac™ purification protocol allows to distil volatile compounds (cannabinoid acids, terpenes) out of the Bio-Herbolysis lipid extract at extremely high efficiency (98%). Contrary to popular belief, the team at Herbolea has found that by means of specific processing conditions, it is possible to concentrate cannabinoid acids out of the lipid extract without incurring decarboxylation, therefore preserving the original plant fingerprint unaltered.

"This agreement is an important milestone for Herbolea. We are proud and delighted that a leading European pharmaceutical company with more than a hundred years of history has chosen our platform for cannabis extraction," said Marco Merciai, CEO at Herbolea Biotech. "This is yet another sign that the world is moving in the direction of sustainable manufacturing. By signing this agreement Herbolea confirms its leadership in the European cannabis extraction landscape."

ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SpA

Herbolea is a biotech company envisioning the use of innovative, green technologies to obtain safe, high-quality and low-cost natural products. Herbolea's patented Bio-Refining Platform generates unique products from highly therapeutic potential botanicals in a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-competitive way. 

The company has signed licensing agreements with pharma companies in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Thailand, U.S. and Portugal.

Contact info@herbolea.com to learn more.

To freeze or not to freeze, Herbolea answers Cultivators' Ultimate Dilemma

Why Settle for Frozen When Fresh Cannabis is Available?

As the global cannabis industry develops, patients and adult-use consumers are increasingly demanding the purest, most potent, and highest quality products available. For licensed producers that want to differentiate and succeed against their competitors, this means utilizing best-in-class technology that produces these superior products.                    

At Herbolea, we have observed that many cannabis cultivators are shifting from air-drying their biomass to fresh-frozen processing. This is because air-drying loses many of the valuable terpenes and partially converts the cannabinoids that make a high-quality product, while the fresh-frozen process stops the degradation. But why settle for products that have been frozen for months, instead of utilizing fresh biomass?

The fresh-frozen processing method removes the branches and stems of the plant, and freezes the product in vacuum sealed bags for months. This process preserves the valuable terpenes and cannabinoids, but only if carried out effectively. If done incorrectly, mold and other microbes may contaminate the plant, leaving the biomass useless. Additionally, if the plant gets freezer burn, it is rendered un-recoverable. The quality and efficiency of the terpenes are also diminished through the freezing process. Whilst fresh-frozen has the advantage of terpene preservation, the method is inconsistent, time consuming, and risky.

We believe that the future industry standard of extraction comes from utilizing processing technology that is able to create extracts starting from fresh, wet biomass, without the need to freeze or dry the plant beforehand. This is because using fresh biomass results in 2.5x times more terpenes than when the same plant is dried (see chart) and because after months in a freezer, plant material is not the same as when harvested. Imagine the smell and taste of an orange or lettuce after 4 months in a freezer.

At Herbolea, we have developed technology that makes this future standard, a reality, today. With our Fresh-never-Frozen solventless extraction process we do not compromise on quality, allowing to quickly process fresh material into the most consistent and faithful extracts.

Compared to CO2, Ethanol, Butane, or Ice water extraction, which have varying degrees of efficiency, scalability, terpene and cannabinoid preservation, our Bio-Herbolysis method processes the entire flower and leaf, providing full cannabinoid preservation. We do not lose any trichomes during handling, bagging, freezing, and trimming, unlike current standard processing methods.  By utilizing fresh, wet biomass, Herbolea’s extraction process is the only technology that allows cannabis manufacturers to faithfully reproduce the plant’s phyto-complex in an extract, whilst creating the highest quality product. Furthermore, by using fresh plant material, our methods do not incur any additional drying or freezing infrastructure and equipment costs. This results in the most efficient, scalable, and replicable extraction method in the globe.

Not only does Herbolea’s technology preserve the terpenes and cannabinoids from the original plant material, but it also allows processors to fractionate the two components for greater flexibility in product formulation; for instance, allowing decarboxylation of cannabinoids separately from terpenes. When creating edibles, we can also eliminate the grassy taste that many consumers dislike in products such as gummies and chocolate.

Herbolea’s patented technology is revolutionizing the cannabis industry with unmatched extraction methods. We create higher quality products than any fresh-frozen process, while utilizing fresh, wet biomass. Herbolea’s technologies create industry leading products, with the most efficient and scalable technology available.

Herbolea Biotech’s Commitment to Environmental Efficiency

By reducing our energy expenditures and generated waste, we are prioritizing the protection of our planet, while creating superior quality products

Herbolea is becoming the gold standard for botanical extractions, developing patented technology to extract and concentrate botanicals, transforming them into unique products in a safe, cost efficient, and environmentally friendly way.

Alternate botanical extraction methods, such as Supercritical CO2 and ethanol extraction, utilize expensive and inefficient technology, with high environmental consequences .

Here at Herbolea, we value the environmental impact our technology has. That is why we utilize 100% solventless extraction technologies, while still achieving higher efficiencies than any other extraction method. By eliminating the use of solvents, there is no risk of solvent residue in our products.

Lower Energy requirements

Herbolea extraction methods require very low energy input, as low as 0.15 kWh/Kg of fresh plant material (approx. 90% less than alternate extraction methods), and they do not use high temperatures or pressure. By minimizing energy expenditures, Herbolea technology is emphasizing our environmental efficiency.


Using our Bio-Herbolysis extraction technology, we are able to process fresh materials into a full-spectrum lipid extract. Not having to dry our fresh materials eliminates the need for large storage infrastructures, high electricity demands, and heating and humidity control of the premises. Additionally, the Carbon-rich byproduct from the first extraction is used as fertilizer, and excess water from the wet material is returned to the fields. Recycling our byproducts allows us to reduce our generated waste, and be kind to our environment.

Furthermore, Herbolea can offer valuable waste management solutions to companies still using CO2 extraction methods. Herbolea’s extraction can be used to re-process CO2 tailings as a secondary extraction method in order to retrieve the valuable cannabinoids that typically go to waste. By doing this, Herbolea can accelerate their customer’s revenue growth by converting waste into marketable products.

By reducing our energy expenditures and generated waste, we are prioritizing environmental efficiency and the protection of our planet, while creating superior quality products.

Herbolea Biotech and Swiss Bio announce successful installation and commissioning of first large scale, solventless hemp extraction plant

Swiss Bioceuticals AG ("SwissBio"), a leading Switzerland-based integrated producer and wholesaler of organic, solvent, herbicide and pesticide-free cannabinoids and APIs for global pharmaceutical production and Herbolea Biotech SpA ("Herbolea"), an Italian biotech company that develops and licenses proprietary solventless technologies to transform botanicals into superior quality products, are pleased to announce the successful installation and commissioning of Herbolea's patented Bio-Herbolysis™ and Hydrocan™ extraction and concentration equipment at Swiss Bio’s facilities.

 

The GMP equipment has initial processing capacity of up to 2,000 Kg of wet cannabis flowers per day (approximately 500,000 Kg per year) and forms the first part of planned capacity expansion to approx. 3,000,000 Kg per year in line with SwissBio's planned growth in production, reference-level testing, and international distribution.

The parties have created a cutting-edge production center, based on green and sustainable technologies, whose strengths are:

  • the qualitative excellence and reproducibility of the generated outputs

  • support customer demands for solvent-less, pharmaceutical grade concentrates and isolates at API quality and wholesale prices

  • the exceptional competitive advantage resulting from economies of scale, lean operations and reduced overall operating costs.

 

“This multi-year partnership is the result of several years’ of design, innovation and planning by the extended teams and forms part of our expanding global supply chain. It is the culmination of a huge effort on all sides and a landmark in the deployment of large-scale next generation extraction technologies. Our combination of quality, scale and efficiency are changing the market.” said Nigel Spencer Drummond, Chairman and CEO at Swiss Bio.

“We are thrilled to partner with Swiss Bio in one of the most advanced large-scale hemp cultivation and extraction initiative at global level” said Marco Merciai, Chairman at Herbolea, “quality, sustainability, safety and cost form a robust set of advantages which our partnership can rely on to grow and prosper.”   

Bio-Herbolysis™ is a patented, highly efficient, solventless and environmentally friendly technology to extract hemp phyto-complex starting from wet or dry material, while preserving its original acidic forms and terpene profile. 

 Hydrocan™ is Herbolea’s solvent-less and environmentally friendly technology to selectively concentrate cannabinoids to over 90% potency, while simultaneously remediating THC without ever crossing the legal 0.2% threshold at any steps of the process. 

 Both technologies are highly scalable, highly efficient, solvent-less, environmentally friendly, GMP and Organic eligible.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT

  • Target: production of cannabis-based wholesale intermediates, post-processing to be carried out at SwissBio’s facilities in the EU and North America.

  • Production capacity: up to 500,000 Kg (on wet basis) initial capacity per year with the facility built and planned to expand to 3,000,000 Kg annually.

  • CAPEX Savings: Herbolea estimated reduction of capital expenditures of €5,000,000. The savings consist of initial extraction equipment as well as post-processing options of comparable technologies for 120,000 Kg of yearly capacity (on dry basis).

  • OPEX Savings: Herbolea estimates in the range of 45% for oil-based extracts and tinctures and 60% for concentrates and broad-spectrum distillates (compared to SCFE and cryo-ethanol)

  • GMP Equipment: tailored equipment built to the specific requirements of Swiss Bio and to support EU-GMP certification. 

  • Facility Costs and Processing: significantly lower permitting costs due to eliminating the need for solvents and the elimination of drying rooms. Improved cash conversion cycle from reduced inventory.

 

ABOUT SWISS BIOCEUTICALS AG (“SwissBio”)

Switzerland-based integrated producer and wholesaler of organic, solvent, herbicide and pesticide-free cannabinoids and APIs for global pharmaceutical production. The company’s ambition is to continue to grow to become the world’s largest scale producer of API-grade cannabinoids (CBDA, CBGA, CBNA and all others), terpenes and other plant derivatives all at the highest possible global quality including Organic Certification, Good Agricultural and Commercial Practice (GACP), EU-GMP, Fair-Trade and exceptional ESG ratings.

HERBOLEA closes 5M€ Series A round led by EU cannabis fund OSKARE Capital

Herbolea, an Italian company who develops and licenses proprietary, solventless technologies to transform botanicals into superior quality products, is happy to announce the closing of its 5m EUR Series A round, of which 2.5m EUR conditioned to milestone achievement, led by the European medical and pharmaceutical cannabis specialist fund, Óskare Capital chaired by Bruce Linton. The funds will be used to accelerate growth, expand the team and extend access to core markets, in particular, the US. 

Joining Óskare Capital in the round were a number of HNWIs who equally appreciate Herbolea’s unique value proposition. Herbolea’s technology is tailored for the extraction of active ingredients from the cannabis plant, however, Herbolea are also applying the enzymatic process in adjacent verticals, such as the extraction of actives from hops. The company is currently generating 7 figure revenues and operating extraction equipment in several important geographies, including in GMP facilities, in US, Germany, Thailand and Italy. 

Óskare Capital’s President, Alexandre Ouimet-Storrs comments: “As a chemical engineer by training, I immediately understood the potential this platform technology has to revolutionize the way we extract botanicals today. Herbolea’s technology can extract valuable compounds from the fresh cannabis plant, with no need to dry, at a fraction of the costs of current technologies, provide higher quality end products and is safer to operate as their process is enzyme based and does not require high pressure or solvents.”

Representing the syndicate of HNWIs, Senior Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey, Joseph Swanson, notes, “We are delighted to partner with Oskare in supporting Herbolea at this exciting time in the Company’s history. Herbolea is uniquely positioned, with patented technology and a structural cost advantage, to disrupt multiple industry verticals built on biomass extraction”.

About Herbolea

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company offering industrial solventless solutions to transform botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies. Visit www.herbolea.com to learn more or watch a video of our processes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjLIds9FPkQ.

For more information, please contact Lorenzo Venturini Del Greco by email: lorenzo.venturini@herbolea.com

About Oskare Capital

ÓSKARE CAPITAL SAS (Paris, France) currently advises Oskare Fund I ICAV (Dublin, Ireland), the first AIFM and ESG compatible Venture Capital fund with an investment focus on innovative companies and teams in Europe working on novel therapeutics (cannabinoids and other molecules) that target the endocannabinoid system as well as the ‘picks and shovels’ of the associated ecosystem of services and products that support this fast growing global market.

The Fund will invest in startups across the entire value chain (from Seed to Patient) but will not invest in cannabis production or recreational cannabis.

For more information, please contact Oliver Lamb by email: ollie@oskarecapital.com

Herbolea inks deal with leading Hemp cultivator in New York State

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Herbolea Biotech and Wheatfield Gardens sign Licensing Agreement for use of cannabinoids solventless extraction and purification technologies

 

Wheatfield Gardens LLC (“Wheatfield”), a leading greenhouse cultivator in Tonawanda, New York, and Herbolea Biotech Srl (“Herbolea”), a biotechnology company based in Florence, Tuscany, developing proprietary botanicals extraction technologies, are pleased to announce the signing of a Licensing Agreement granting Wheatfield Gardens the limited exclusive rights to utilize Herbolea’s Bio-Herbolysis™ and Hydrocan™ extraction and purification technologies.

Bio-Herbolysis™ is a patented, solventless and environmentally friendly technology that can efficiently and straightforwardly extract cannabis’ full phyto-complex into a lipid base starting from wet material. Herbolea’s process can directly handle fresh plant material with no need to dry, saving cost, time and space. No high temperatures are reached during the process, hence terpenes are fully retained. Terpene content of Bio-Herbolysis oils is 2.5x that of dry flowers, presenting unique tastes and offering a distinctive fragrance experience. 

Hydrocan™ is a patent-pending, solventless, water-based, rapid concentration technology to selectively purify CBD, CBG and their acidic forms CBDA and CBGA, while simultaneously remediating THC and THCA below quantification levels. No harmful or toxic solvents are used in the process, making Hydrocan concentrates very safe and environmentally sustainable.

Both Bio-Herbolysis and Hydrocan are highly scalable processes, environmentally friendly, GMP and Organic eligible.

“We are delighted to start our collaboration with Wheatfield Gardens in the New York’s growing hemp and cannabis sector” declared Mr. Marco Merciai “We were impressed by Wheatfield capabilities, the technology of its greenhouses and the strong focus of its team on quality and sustainability.”

Wheatfield sees a competitive advantage in its agreement with Herbolea. 

“With current consumer trends toward supply-chain transparency, as well as more natural processing, we felt the Herbolea technology dovetailed exactly with our vision for the U.S. CBD market,” said Wheatfield CEO Paal Elfstrum. “We want to grow high-quality, unique plant cultivars, and then process them with a more natural, cleaner extraction process. The ability to process fresh flowers better preserves the plant’s natural terpenes and phyto-matrix. The resulting high-quality cannabinoid bulk ingredients can then be formulated into the consumer products developed by our partners.”

As part of the agreement, Herbolea commits to deliver Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant equipment to Wheatfield’s facility in Tonawanda, with the capability to process over 80.000 Kg of dry flower or its wet equivalent per year.

 

ABOUT WHEATFIELD GARDENS LLC

Wheatfield Gardens, based in the Buffalo, N.Y. suburb of North Tonawanda, is an Ag-Tech leader sustainably growing high-quality, pesticide-free agricultural products indoors using state-of-the-art production systems. It has been previously licensed as a grower and processor by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and welcomes the further development of current regulations under the newly formed Department of Cannabis Management. Since 2017, WG has been an industrial hemp research partner with NYS Cultivating cannabinoid hemp using sustainable CBD and downstream consumer products and today its 500,000 square-foot facility is one of the largest indoor growing facilities in the state. The company’s campus currently features several cultivation areas focusing on sustainable cannabinoid production. 


ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company offering industrial solutions to transform botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. Visit www.herbolea.com to learn more or watch a video of our processes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjLIds9FPkQ.

Herbolea lands in Asia with a new cannabis extraction agreement

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Herbolea Biotech and Amara Asia sign Licensing Agreement for use of 

Bio-Herbolysis™ and Hydrocan™ extraction technologies

  

Amara Asia Co Ltd. (“Amara”), a company formed by the cooperation between Bienestar T&N and Social Enterprise “Visahakijchoomchon Kasetsamoonpridekownar”, is a leading botanicals and cannabis cultivator and manufacturer of plant-based medicines & supplements in Thailand, and Herbolea Biotech Srl (“Herbolea”), an Italian biotechnology company developing proprietary botanical extraction technologies, are pleased to announce the signing of a Licensing Agreement granting Amara the rights to utilize Herbolea’s Bio-Herbolysis™ and Hydrocan™ extraction and purification technologies in Thailand.


Bio-Herbolysis™ is a patented, solvent-less and environmentally friendly technology that can extract cannabis’ full phyto-complex starting from wet or dry material, yielding 90%+ extraction efficiency, while preserving its original acidic forms and terpene profile. 

Hydrocan™ is a patent-pending disruptive concentration protocol capable of selectively transferring cannabinoids from any lipid-based carrier to a water-based medium, delivering cannabinoids (CBD, CBG and other minor compounds) powders with 90%+ potency, while simultaneously remediating THC below quantification levels. This feature is not only achieved in a highly efficient way, but with the added value of not utilizing chromatography equipment or solvents at any step, resulting in a highly cost-competitive process that does not introduce potentially harmful substances into the final products. 

Both technologies are highly scalable, highly efficient, solvent-less, environmentally friendly, GMP and Organic eligible. 

Amara is pleased to collaborate with Herbolea to bring one of the most modern extraction technologies to Thailand.  Amara is constructing a modern GMP-certified extraction facility in Buriram, Thailand, and the facility shall be approved and certified by The Food and Drug Administration of Thailand (Thai FDA), a department under The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).  We aim to build the extraction facility and showcase the equipment as the most efficient yet nature friendly technology in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

As part of the agreement, Herbolea commits to deliver Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant equipment to Amara’s facility, with the capability to process 100 Kg of dry flower or its wet equivalent per batch.

By signing this agreement, the parties will create the first Asian hub for manufacturing pharma grade cannabis products, leveraging Italian scientific expertise and innovative post-processing technologies together with Thai cultivation capabilities and medicinal expertise of Amara and its business partners.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT
 

Targets of the agreement: the production finished products deriving from cannabis and hemp.

Production capacity: The equipment is capable of processing more than 40 tons (on dry basis) per year.

Capex Savings: HBT to provide the equipment, eliminating the associated capital investments. Estimated reduction of capital expenditure of €2,500,000. The savings consist of initial extraction equipment as well as post processing options of comparable technologies for 40,000kg of yearly capacity.

Opex Savings: Saving on operating costs estimated in the range of 65% for oil-based extracts and tinctures and 70% for concentrates and broad-spectrum distillates (compared to SCFE and Cryo-ethanol).

GMP Equipment: Extraction line built to the specific requirements of Amara. To be delivered within the first 120 business days of the signing of the agreement and subsequent design agreement. 

Facility Costs and Processing: Significantly lower permitting costs due to eliminating the need for solvents and the elimination of drying rooms. Improved cash conversion cycle from reduced inventory.

Tolling Services Profit Sharing Agreement: Herbolea and Amara will revenue-share at the rate of 40-60% for third-party extraction services.

 

ABOUT AMARA ASIA CO LTD

Amara Asia, a company formed by the cooperation between Bienestar T&N and Social Enterprise “Visahakijchoomchon Kasetsamoonpridekownar”, is a leading botanicals and cannabis cultivator and medicines & supplements manufacturer in Thailand.  Our passion and focus on medicinal botanicals, together with Thai Government Institutions & universities, with the help of international business partners and doctors, we created a unique and sustainable botanicals and cannabis ecosystem in Thailand.  Currently, Thailand is the only country that legalize cannabis farming and usage in Asia, our aim is to become one the most important Medicinal and Recreation Cannabis Hub of Asia. 

 
ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company focused on offering its partners industrial solution to transform botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. Bio-Herbolysis™ extracts cannabinoids with an efficiency above 90%, and allows for processing of wet material, preserving the full acidic forms as well as the original terpene profile. Visit www.herbolea.com to learn more.

Read the full article here

Largest hemp extraction facility in Italy to use green technologies

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Eusphera Srl (“Eusphera”), a leading Italian hemp-based nutraceutical production and distribution company and Herbolea Biotech Srl (“Herbolea”), an Italian biotechnology company developing proprietary botanical extraction technologies, are pleased to announce the signing of a Licensing Agreement granting Eusphera the rights to utilize Herbolea’s Bio-Herbolysis™ and Hydrocan™ extraction and concentration technologies in Italy.

As part of the agreement, Herbolea commits to deliver Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant equipment to Eusphera’s facility, with the capacity to process up to 300 Kg of dry flower or its wet equivalent per day.

By signing this agreement, the parties will create a cutting-edge hub focused on research and development of hemp-derived products, leveraging Italian scientific expertise and innovative post-processing technologies and nutraceutical and regulatory know-how. 

“This partnership is a key milestone allowing our companies to innovate and excel in the rapidly changing world of natural healthcare and hemp-based remedies to improve people’s well-being. This collaboration between two highly talented teams will give us the opportunity to set a higher standard and play a pivotal role in the European market ” said Max Nardulli, managing partner at Eusphera.

“We are very excited to collaborate with Eusphera in setting up the first Italian extraction hub that uses 100% green technologies. The deal is not only a significant milestone for Herbolea and Eusphera, but for the entire European healthcare market as safer and healthier products, obtained without the use of organic solvents, will be made available” commented Marco Merciai, CEO at Herbolea.

Bio-Herbolysis™ is a patented, solvent-less and environmentally friendly technology to extract cannabis’ phyto-complex starting from wet or dry material, yielding 90%+ extraction efficiency, while preserving its original acidic forms and terpene profile. 

Hydrocan™ is Herbolea’s patent-pending, solvent-less and environmentally friendly technology to selectively concentrate CBD and CBG to over 90% potency, while simultaneously remediating THC without ever crossing the legal 0.2% threshold in any phase of the process. This feature is not only achieved in a highly efficient way, but with the added value of not utilizing chromatography equipment or solvents at any step, resulting in a highly cost-competitive process that does not introduce potentially harmful substances into the final products. 

Both technologies are highly scalable, highly efficient, solvent-less, environmentally friendly, GMP and Organic eligible.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT

Targets: the production of bulk and formulated products deriving from hemp.

Production capacity: The equipment is capable of processing up to 60.000 kg (on dry basis) per year.

Capex Savings: HBT to provide the equipment therefore eliminating the associated capital investments. Estimated reduction of capital expenditures of €2,500,000. The savings consist of initial extraction equipment as well as post processing options of comparable technologies for 50,000kg of yearly capacity.

Opex Savings: Saving on operating costs estimated in the range of 50% for oil-based extracts and tinctures and 70% for concentrates and broad-spectrum distillates (compared to SCFE and cryo-ethanol)

GMP Equipment: Tailored specialty equipment built to the specific requirements of Eusphera. 

Facility Costs and Processing: Significantly lower permitting costs due to eliminating the need for solvents and the elimination of drying rooms. Improved cash conversion cycle from reduced inventory.

View here the press release.

ABOUT EUSPHERA SRL

Eusphera is one of the European pioneers in the field of creating and distributing innovative and natural hemp-based products to optimize health and well-being. The Company’s premium quality products are 100-percent made in Italy and formulated by the in-house R&D science-led team with the highest standard for quality and safety.

Eusphera has full control over the entire production chain and has a GMP Pharma & Cosmetic compliant process. The Company currently distributes products to pharmacies and healthcare outlets in multiple European countries. Visit www.eusphera.com to learn more.


ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea is a biotech company envisioning the use of innovative, green technologies to obtain safe, high-quality and low-cost natural products. Herbolea’s patented Bio-refining Platform generates unique products from highly therapeutic potential botanicals in a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-competitive way. 

The company has signed licensing agreements with pharma companies in Canada, Colombia, Germany and Italy. Visit www.herbolea.com to learn more.

Successful Factory Acceptance Test of KD Pharma's Bio-Herbolysis™ GMP eligible equipment (Copy)

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Herbolea is pleased to announce the success of the Bio-Herbolysis™ equipment Factory Acceptance Test carried out at Sesto Fiorentino in Italy.
The equipment to be delivered to KD Pharma Group in Germany is able to process 100 kg dry or alternatively about 500 kg fresh of Botanical Raw Material per batch.
The system is fully automated, validated and equipped with remote monitoring and assistance systems aimed at preventive maintenance and troubleshooting.

If you’d like to understand more about how our extraction and concentration technologies work, and how we can help you achieve a highly efficient and cost competitive extraction operation, drop us a line at info@herbolea.com.

 
ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company focused on transforming botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies. Visit www.herbolea.com.

Our take on the DEA’s interim final ruling (IFR) regarding THC compliance

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In August 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), published an interim ruling that determines that a product that exceeds the 0.3% THC level during any stage of the manufacturing process is considered to be a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, and subject to DEA enforcement action, even if the final sale product is compliant.

The go-to playbook in the CBD in the industry has been to extract cannabinoids utilizing popular technologies such as cryogenic ethanol and supercritical CO2, which initially extract and concentrate cannabinoids (THC included) at high levels, and then undergo a remediation step, usually utilizing high performance liquid chromatography, to reduce THC levels and arrive at a fully compliant final product ready for sale.

The recent ruling would make this standard playbook non-compliant. As a result, the entire CBD industry has been shaken to its core, as processors and manufacturers have grown increasingly concerned of incurring federal liabilities.

Herbolea, thanks to its patented, solvent-less extraction and concentration technologies, is able to obtain CBD and other minor cannabinoids to over 90% potency and at high efficiency, without ever crossing the 0.3% threshold for THC at any manufacturing stage.

        This is not only achieved in a scalable and operationally efficient way, but with the added value of not utilizing chromatography equipment nor solvents at any step, resulting in a highly cost-competitive and clean extraction.

If you’d like to understand more about how our extraction and concentration technologies work, and how we can help you achieve a highly efficient and cost competitive extraction operation, drop us a line at info@herbolea.com.

 


ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company focused on transforming botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies. Visit www.herbolea.com.

KD Pharma Group and Herbolea Biotech sign Licensing Agreement for use of Bio-Herbolysis extraction technology

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The KD Pharma Group SA (“KD Pharma”), a global pharmaceutical CMO and one of the leading producers of Omega-3 fatty acids, and Herbolea Biotech Srl (“Herbolea”), an Italian biotechnology company developing proprietary botanical extraction technologies, are pleased to announce the signing of a Licensing Agreement granting KD Pharma the rights to utilize Herbolea’s Bio-Herbolysis™ extraction technology in Europe.


Bio-Herbolysis™ is a highly scalable, solvent-less and environmentally friendly technology that can extract cannabis’ full phytocomplex starting from wet or dry material, yielding 90%+ extraction efficiency while preserving its original acidic forms and terpene profile.

 

KD Pharma has the largest isolation and fractionation technology portfolio in the lipids industry and with this agreement will expand its capacity for manufacturing a full spectrum of cannabis and terpene-based products for use in pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and medicinal food products.

 

As part of the agreement, Herbolea commits to deliver Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant equipment to KD Pharma’s facilities, with the capability to process 100 kg of dry flower or its wet equivalent per batch.


With the signing of this agreement, both parties will start a collaboration for the research and development of post-processing technologies to improve production of cannabis and terpene-based products.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF HERBOLEA’S BIO-HERBOLYSIS™ TECHNOLOGY

 

Bio-Herbolysis™ delivers a high-quality, solvent-less extraction, one step process that is industrially proven at over 300 kg/hour, yielding over 90% efficiency, and with significant operational and investment savings. 

Benefit of processing Wet Material: Preserves cannabinoids in acidic form and delivers increased terpene preservation that translates to 2.5x terpene content in a Bio-Herbolysis™ extract vs. the same biomass in dry form. Wet processing eliminates 15 days of inventory costs and associated operational and facility costs. 

CAPEX Savings: Herbolea provides the equipment, eliminating associated capital investments and resulting in savings of over EUR 5MM. Savings consist of extraction equipment, reduced facility requirements, and post processing equipment vs that of comparable technologies for 100,000 kg per year of dry flower equivalent. 

Facility Costs: Lower facility buildout costs, with a footprint of 60 square meters for a 100 kg batch first extraction configuration. Elimination of solvents reduces operational hazards, safety requirements and associated permitting restrictions.

Efficiency Value: True full spectrum 90%+ efficiency of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Reduced Labor: Simplified one-step process reduces operational complexity and labor costs. 

Remote Support and Improvements: Herbolea provides remote monitoring, along with technology improvements and equipment upgrades.

 

ABOUT KD PHARMA GROUP SA

The KD Pharma Group SA is a contract manufacturer that develops products in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical space. It is also one of the largest Omega-3 fatty acid producers in the world with 500 employees and a presence in the UK, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and the US. The KD Pharma Group employs state-of-the-art technology which is protected by numerous patents. Visit www.KDPharmaGroup.com.


ABOUT HERBOLEA BIOTECH SRL

Herbolea Biotech is an Italian extraction technology company focused on transforming botanicals into superior quality products through proprietary, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies. Visit www.herbolea.com.

GMP eligible Bio-Herbolysis™ equipment tested and delivered to Medcolcanna in Bogota

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After successful testing at Herbolea’s Florence facility in Q1 2020, the first GMP eligible Bio-Herbolysis™ processing plant has been delivered to Medcolcanna’s facility in Cota, Colombia. This milestone marks the delivery of the first industrial scale Bio-Herbolysis™ processing equipment for the cannabis industry, and Herbolea’s first foray into the Colombian market.

Upon installation and commissioning by the Herbolea team, Medcolcanna will be able to process its cannabis in a highly efficient and cost-effective manner to obtain true full spectrum cannabis oils; leveraging Bio-Herbolysis™’ high-quality, solvent-less extraction, as well as  its capacity to process freshly harvested material, which allows for the preservation of cannabinoids and volatile terpenes in full acidic form.

In addition to processing its own biomass, Mecolcanna will use the equipment to deliver GMP-certified third-party processing services to other cannabis producers in the region, in order to supply the Colombian market with high quality cannabis extracts.

 With its current configuration, the Bio Herbolysis™ plant has the capacity to process 100Kg of dry biomass in a five our shift, and can easily be upgraded to process 100Kg of dry biomass per hour on a semi-continuous basis with additional equipment.

Medcolcanna Signs Licensing and Profit-Sharing Agreement with Herbolea Biotech for Patent Pending Technology

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BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Aug. 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medcolcanna Organics Inc. (TSX-V: MCCN) (“Medcolcanna” or the “Company”), a Canadian medical cannabis company with operations in Colombia, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Licensing and Processing Services Agreement with Herbolea Biotech S.r.l. (“HBT”), an Italian based bio-technology company that has developed Bio-HerbolysisTM a patent pending process for the extraction and preservation of cannabis from newly harvested or dried material.

With the closing of these two agreements, Medcolcanna will have the license rights to use Bio-HerbolysisTM for their extraction requirements, as well as offer processing services to third parties in Colombia, delivering full spectrum oil, distillates and crystals. As part of the agreements, HBT will install a 100 kg/h good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliant equipment during Q4 of 2019, with an operational capacity of processing over 200,000 kg of dry flower or wet biomass equivalent, per year.

“The signing of this agreement is another major milestone that we have achieved towards building and executing the vision and development of Medcolcanna as it becomes a leading Colombian producer, manufacturer, and distributor of cannabis products around the globe,” commented Felipe de la Vega, Chief Executive Officer. “The importance of this technology is that the extraction and processing of our cannabis oils, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer products is greatly enhanced by the ability to use wet or dried material. In addition, Medcolcanna will have the right to offer third-party firms GMP certified extraction services under a profit-sharing agreement which greatly expands the potential for additional revenue and profit for our company.”

The Bio-Herbolysis™ process delivers a high-quality, solvent-less extraction, with a simple one step process that is industrially proven at over 300 kg/hour, yielding over 90% efficiency, and with significant operational and investment savings;  the ability to directly input wet material and its low temperature process, results in a true full spectrum extract, maintaining the presence of volatile terpenes which give cannabis its characteristic flavour and aroma, as well as the potential to easily provide cannabinoids in their original acidic form. With this agreement in place, HBT will further expand its global footprint by deploying its technology in Colombia, alongside existing agreements in Germany, Italy and Canada.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT

Initial Term: Seven years with the ability to extend the term.
Capacity and target Production: Estimated at 200 tons of dry or wet biomass per year; target of 100,000 kg of processed botanical raw material (BRM) by 2022. Production capacity to be increased as required.

Capex Savings: HBT to provide the equipment, eliminating the associated capital investments. Estimated reduction of capital expenditure of approximately $7,000,000 Canadian Dollars. The savings consist of initial extraction equipment as well as post processing options of comparable technologies for 200,000 kg of dry flower or wet biomass equivalent of yearly capacity.

Benefit of Processing Wet Material: Eliminates inventory costs of 15 days and the associated operational and build-out costs, as well as the ability to preserve the cannabinoids in acidic form.

GMP Equipment: Tailored specialty equipment built to the specific requirements of Medcolcanna. To be shipped within the first four months of the signing of the agreement and subsequent design agreement. Production capacity of 100 kg/hour of dry or wet material.

Facility Costs and Processing: Significantly lower permitting costs due to eliminating the need for solvents and the elimination of drying rooms.

Efficiency Value: 90%+ efficiency, creates at least a 15% delta vs CO2 industry standard operational processes, worth approximately CAD$20 per kg of BRM.

Reduced Labour Costs: Simplified processing reduces operational complexity and reduces labour costs in addition to remote monitoring and performance improvement provided by HBT

Processing Profit Sharing Agreement: HBT and Medcolcanna will profit-share at the rate of 50% each. (1)

ABOUT MEDCOLCANNA

Medcolcanna is a Canadian integrated medical cannabis company, whose fully-licensed operations are based in Colombia. Led by a proven and successful management team, Medcolcanna has facilities in optimal growing locations which positions the Company to become a global leader in the medical cannabis market.

Medcolcanna employs state of the art organic agricultural technology and innovative pharmaceutical processes to produce high-quality products. The Company’s scalable production model and network of pharmaceutical partnerships globally ensures that they remain at the forefront of the medical cannabis industry.

Additional information about Medcolcanna can be found on its web site at www.medcolcanna.com

AgMedica Bioscience Inc. Announces Receipt of Cannabis Oil Sales License

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Chatham, Ontario, Canada, June 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chatham, Ontario – June 6, 2019 - AgMedica Bioscience Inc.("AgMedica" or the "Company"), a licensed producer of cannabis for medicinal and adult-use consumers, is pleased to announce that it has received approval from Health Canada for a license amendment allowing for the sale of cannabis oil products, effective May 31, 2019. The cannabis oil sales license enables AgMedica to provide medicinal patients and adult-use consumers with greater choice through a portfolio of bottled oils that includes CBD, THC and Balanced varieties, all of which are considered higher-demand products.

AgMedica is currently generating full-spectrum extracts via supercritical CO2 extraction and as previously announced on March 5, 2019, will supplement this method with its exclusive Canadian license for the unique Herbolea Biotech extraction method, Bio-Herbolysis™, subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals. Bio-Herbolysis™ is a patent-pending, disruptive extraction technology that offers a significant cost advantage over CO2 or ethanol. Bio-Herbolysis™ delivers a high-quality, solvent-less extraction with a simple one-step process that is industrially proven and offers significant operational and investment savings. The process utilizes low temperatures and supports the direct input of wet material which results in a true full-spectrum extract within four hours, maintaining the presence of volatile terpenes which give cannabis its characteristic flavour and aroma, as well as the potential to provide cannabinoids in their original acidic form.

The Bio-Herbolysis™ process equipment, capable of processing up to 20 kg/hour on a continuous basis, has been received and is in the process of being commissioned for use following Health Canada approval. Later in 2019, AgMedica plans to implement larger-scale continuous processing equipment for the Company’s own products and potentially to meet the extraction needs of other licenced cannabis producers. All of these factors help open channels for AgMedica’s access to global markets.

“With our oil sales license now in hand and the potential to leverage the innovative Bio-Herbolysis™ extraction technology, AgMedica is ideally positioned to gain access to international markets for our products,” said Dr. Trevor Henry, AgMedica’s CEO. “I am proud of the continued success realized by AgMedica as we develop further differentiated products that positively contribute to the ongoing evolution of the cannabis sector.”

Receiving the oil sales license represents another key milestone in AgMedica’s path toward becoming a global leader in the development and commercialization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products designed to support client health and wellness. Since late 2017, the Company has secured all regulatory approvals required to harvest and sell cannabis, which has contributed to the ongoing growth and enhancement of the business.

AgMedica Bioscience Inc. Announces Closing of Strategic Investment in Extraction Technology Company, Herbolea Biotech S.r.l.

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CHATHAM, ON, March 5, 2019 /CNW/ - AgMedica Bioscience Inc. ("AgMedica" or the "Company"), a licensed producer of medicinal cannabis, is pleased to announce the closing of its strategic investment in Herbolea Biotech S.r.l. ("Herbolea Biotech") (the "Investment"), previously announced on October 18, 2018.  Herbolea Biotech is an Italian company focused on the development of Bio-Herbolysis™, a patent-pending, disruptive extraction technology.  The Bio-Herbolysis™ process delivers a high-quality, solvent-less extraction, with a simple one step process that is industrially proven at over 300 kg/hour, yielding over 90% efficiency, and with significant operational and investment savings;  the ability to directly input wet material and its low temperature process, results in a true full spectrum extract, maintaining the presence of volatile terpenes which give cannabis its characteristic flavour and aroma, as well as the potential to easily provide cannabinoids in their original acidic form.

With closing of the Investment, AgMedica now holds a 25% equity position in Herbolea and will be appointing one member to join Herbolea's board of directors.  In concert with the Investment, the Company secured exclusive rights to utilize Bio-Herbolysis™ in the Canadian market and secured a licence for the use of Bio-Herbolysis™ in the German market (the "License Agreement"). The Bio-Herbolysis™ process is already being implemented through an initial installation of equipment capable of processing up to 15 kg/hour on a continuous basis, in AgMedica's Canadian operations in Q1 2019, for use in the extraction of cannabis and hemp for AgMedica's own products and potentially to meet the needs of other licenced cannabis producers. Plans also include the implementation of larger scale continuous processing equipment in 2019.

With both the Investment and the License Agreement, AgMedica and Herbolea benefit from improved access to capital, which will be instrumental for accelerating entry into several new key markets, and to propel future potential revenue growth.  

"Our investment in Herbolea and securing the License Agreement represent significant milestones for AgMedica," said Dr. Trevor Henry, CEO of AgMedica.  "AgMedica will deploy the licensed technology to more aggressively pursue entry into new global markets and continue developing differentiated products that will contribute to the evolution of the cannabis sector. In addition to delivering a unique true full spectrum product, we expect AgMedica to achieve a significant cost advantage over CO2 or ethanol."

"We are thrilled to have AgMedica as our new strategic partner to further advance the disruptive potential of Bio-Herbolysis™ in the production of true, full-spectrum cannabis extracts," said Igino Angelini, CEO of Herbolea Biotech. "Our focus on expanding global adoption of this ground-breaking technology, as well as building a full suite of flexible and integrated Cannabinoids extraction solutions, will be rapidly accelerated by this strategic Investment, the License Agreement and our ongoing collaboration."

About AgMedica Bioscience Inc.

As a licensed producer of medicinal cannabis, AgMedica is dedicated to becoming a global leader in the development and commercialization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to support the health and wellness of our clients.  We aspire to drive the evolution of the cannabis industry by focussing investment on the development and commercialization of differentiated products in the medicinal, health & wellness and pharmaceutical sectors. For further information, please visit our website at www.agmedica.ca.

AgMedica Bioscience Inc. Announces Strategic Investment in, and Exclusive Canadian Licencing Agreement with, Extraction Technology Company, Herbolea S.r.l.

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Chatham, Ontario - October 18, 2018 - AgMedica Bioscience Inc. ("AGMEDICA" or the "Company"), a licensed producer of medicinal cannabis, is pleased to announce  a strategic investment in, and exclusive licencing agreement with, Herbolea S.r.l. ("HERBOLEA") (the "Agreement"), a company focused on the development of Bio-Herbolysis™, a patent-pending, disruptive extraction technology.  The unique Bio-Herbolysis™ extraction process does not utilize organic solvents or supercritical CO2, resulting in significantly lower capital and input costs, while maintaining the presence of volatile terpenes which give cannabis its characteristic flavour and aroma. 

AGMEDICA and HERBOLEA plan to leverage the licensing agreement to deliver distinct and true full-spectrum extracts derived from fresh cannabis and hemp as well as traditional extracts from dried cannabis and hemp, to service the Canadian and German markets.  The two companies will focus the expertise of their respective management and scientific teams, based in Canada and Italy, to accelerate the development of therapeutic products for human and veterinary use.  This Agreement represents a significant milestone for AGMEDICA as part of the Company’s strategy to develop differentiated products that contribute to the continued evolution of the cannabis sector.  It also significantly enhances HERBOLEA’s ongoing efforts to expand the global use of Bio-Herbolysis™. Not only does the Agreement afford the two companies an improved ability to develop unique products, it is also anticipated that utilizing the Bio-Herbolysis™ technology will enable AGMEDICA to capture significant savings in the extraction process and realize lower costs associated with capacity scaling and ongoing production flexibility.

Under the terms of the Agreement, AGMEDICA has agreed to purchase a 25% equity position in HERBOLEA.  In addition, the Agreement grants AGMEDICA exclusive rights to utilize Bio-Herbolysis™ in the Canadian market, and a licence for the use of Bio-Herbolysis™ in the German market.  AGMEDICA will implement the Bio-Herbolysis™ process in their Canadian operations for use in the extraction of cannabis and hemp, both for AGMEDICA’s own products, and to offer as a service to other licenced cannabis producers. The Agreement is anticipated to close in early December, 2018. 

"We are very pleased with our strategic investment and licencing agreement with HERBOLEA, which provides AGMEDICA the opportunity to be first to market with a patented, disruptive and lower-cost extraction technology that can be used to develop a line of differentiated cannabis and hemp derived products." said Dr. Trevor Henry, CEO of AGMEDICA.  "Investing directly in HERBOLEA creates clear alignment between our respective companies as we collaborate, while giving AGMEDICA direct exposure to their continued success and growth."

"We are delighted to have AGMEDICA providing a strategic investment to further validate the disruptive potential of Bio-Herbolysis™ in the production of true, full-spectrum cannabis extracts,” said Igino Angelini, CEO of HERBOLEA. "HERBOLEA is focused on expanding global adoption of this ground-breaking proprietary extraction technology that will deliver differentiated cannabis extracts to a market that is forecast to experience rapid expansion."

About AgMedica Bioscience Inc.

As a licensed producer of medicinal cannabis, AGMEDICA is dedicated to becoming a global leader in the development and commercialization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to support the health and wellness of our clients.  We aspire to drive the evolution of the cannabis industry by focussing investment on the development and commercialization of differentiated products in the medicinal, health & wellness and pharmaceutical sectors.  The Company’s established Riverview Cultivation Facility is located in Chatham, Ontario, and Phase I of our first innovative multi-tier cultivation facility is currently in production with a total annual capacity of 6,000 kg of medical-grade cannabis.  Construction on Phase II of the Riverview Cultivation Facility is well under way, with completion and start-up expected in Q1 2019 which will bring total annual capacity up to 26,500 kg. www.agmedica.ca.