Novozymes specializes in enzymes and microorganisms for a range of industrial uses including agricultural yields, low-temperature washing, renewable fuel and more. A drive to innovate and finding biological solutions to build new businesses is part of the Novozymes’ DNA, and this is also what has initiated the formation of a new business development area dedicated to human health.
“We have a small new business development department that is looking into the area of human health and nutrition,” says Marie Tutein Brenøe, Novozymes’ global marketing manager for human health. “As BIO-Europe is in Denmark this year, we found it interesting to see if the industry has any complementary areas of Novozymes’ ingredients business,” she says. The human health division is consumer-focused and is building its product portfolio around probiotics, enzymes, and other bioactives to link scientific advances to human needs.
Within the area of human health, Novozymes is currently out-licensing Pylopass™, a food dietary supplement. The product offers a new approach to common gastric infection. The Pylopass™ strain of spray-dried L. reuteri “is a natural way to help manage the presence of Heliobactor pylori in the stomach,” Brenøe explains. “Its molecular shape is a bit like Velcro™.” Basically Pylopass™ forms co-aggregates with H. pylori, which help reduce the stomach’s bacterial load, and ultimately are excreted from the body through the digestive tract.
Sustainability is an overarching theme for Novozymes and the driving factor behind natural enzymes. Therefore, Brenøe says, “we’re looking for technologies that make a positive sustainable footprint.” The objective is to preserve Earth’s resources while improving people’s lives.
“We want to make a difference in a sustainable way,” Brenøe emphasizes. That means finding biological solutions to build new businesses and help existing businesses and industries to advance.
Novozymes, which was formed in 1925 as Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium, pioneered the industrial enzyme industry by introducing the first class of enzymes for industrial use in 1941. The first products were trypsin crystals (for cleaning hides before tanning) and amylase (for desizing textiles). That work led to successes in the fermentation of enzymes. It 1987, the company launched Lipolase®, the first fat-splitting enzyme for detergents made from genetically-engineered microorganisms.
Since then, Novozymes has expanded its enzyme and microorganism offerings globally through acquisitions and through the building of new facilities throughout Europe, North America and Asia. “We are the world’s largest provider of enzyme and microbial technologies,” Brenøe says, “and our bioinnovation enables higher agricultural yields, low-temperature washing, energy-efficient production, renewable fuel and many other benefits that we rely on today and in the future.” As a company, Novozymes devotes approximately 14% of its total revenue to R&D, which makes up roughly 66% of all enzyme research worldwide.
Today, Novozymes employs more than 6,300 staff on six continents. Of those, 1,400 are scientists dedicated to the continual innovation that drives business value for its customers, thereby improving the way its customers work. “We invest in finding solutions that help our customers adapt to market changes, differentiate products, reduce costs and make production more efficient, consistent and environmentally friendly,” Brenøe emphasizes. Novozymes has introduced more than 100 new molecules since the year 2000.
Novozymes is a sponsor of BIO-Europe 2018, occurring November 5–7 in Copenhagen. Meet with Novozymes at BIO-Europe to discuss working together to help build better lives for people around the world.
