Sustainea and Primient announced a co-location partnership for the supply of corn dextrose from Primient’s facility in Lafayette, Indiana to Sustainea’s first Bio-MEG (monoethylene glycol) plant. Sustainea’s planned facility represents an investment of around $400 million and will produce a renewable, plant-based alternative to petroleum-based MEG.
Sustainea is a company created with the ambition to be the global leader in Bio-MEG, which can be used as a drop-in product, delivering high quality and functionality while significantly reducing the carbon footprint. Primient is a leading manufacturer of plant-based ingredients and industry leader in producing high-quality, low carbon dextrose. Adding Primient’s feedstock to Sustainea’s Bio-MEG plant, will significantly reduce the need for traditional fossil-based plastics by producing bioproducts for beverage bottles, food containers, apparel, and footwear.
Gustavo Sergi, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainea, says, “This partnership marks a significant step forward in building one of the largest sustainability ventures globally. Primient has proven to be a strategic partner and long-term ally, with notable operational synergies and shared values. The high energy efficiency and low-carbon dextrose produced at the Lafayette plant will uniquely position Sustainea’s products for both sustainability and competitiveness. This announcement greatly serves our customers who will benefit from decarbonizing an ever-growing PET [polyethylene terephthalate] market.”
Jim Stutelberg, Chief Executive Officer of Primient, says, “We chose a co-location partnership with Sustainea due to our aligned vision and mission, and because Sustainea’s Bio-MEG has a very strong value proposition in today’s marketplace. The selection of Lafayette is a validation of Primient’s industry-leading low carbon footprint, enabled by our investments in co-generation capabilities to transition production entirely away from the use of coal. Our collaboration with Sustainea is a great example of Primient truly living our vision of building a better future through plant-based solutions. By integrating Primient and Sustainea’s strengths, we are driving biobased innovation and filling the void for renewable, plant-based solutions.”
With enthusiastic support from the state of Indiana and the city of Lafayette, the agreement was influenced by the region’s strong infrastructure, existing transportation networks and supportive local policies. Groundbreaking is set to begin after conclusion of engineering and final investment decision, with production expected to start in 2028.
Corn prices hit a 4-year low in Q3, on the prospect of a record harvest. That data follows research and insights from USDA that expects net farm income to be down 25% year over year. One solution to this challenge is innovation. Tim Hassinger, CEO of Intelinair, joins today to share perspective on the market and innovation’s role in driving net farm income and operational efficiency.
Agriculture is a cyclical business and the industry is certainly going through it now. Tim talks managing today for how you want to come out of this economic turbulence, what he hears from farmer customers (hint: it’s realism) and how innovators should be operating for success.
Where is Intelinair finding their success? Fresh off winning AgTech Data Analytics Company of the Year at the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, Tim talks growing and scaling their business and their continued pursuit of adding tools to their suite that help the farmer make better decisions and – ultimately – save money.
How does the former leader of Dow AgroSciences and Lindsay Corporation feel about his time as CEO of Intelinair? Tim talks about new challenges, adjusting his mindset to meet the needs of the business and what has him excited as he looks to the future.
Funding will support the new Indiana AI Innovation Network
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced TechPoint, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s (CICP) branded growth initiative for the state’s digital innovation economy, as a Stage Two winner for the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). TechPoint won the award for its plans to launch and operate the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Network for Indiana-based companies and organizations.
“AI will have a transformative impact on the future of our workforce and economic competitiveness for our community,” said Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. “This SBA award enables TechPoint and other CICP initiatives to continue leading AI adoption strategy and innovation ecosystem building work.”
The $100,000 funding will be awarded to support TechPoint’s impactful and inclusive approach to nurturing a collaborative national innovation ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to market. The organization won $50,000 in the Stage One round earlier this year.
The Evansville-based Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies also won a cash prize from the GAFC in both stages.
“We are gratified to see this additional support as we work with our incredible partners to ensure Indiana puts AI to work in the most positive, imaginative and useful ways possible,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee.
Chelsea Linder, TechPoint’s Vice President, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, said the AI Innovation Network will be launched quickly to begin benefiting participants.
“There is huge market demand for support services in the AI space, and we have the absolute best group of foundational partners helping us build and shape this service,” Linder said.
Stage One of the SBA competition emphasized ecosystem network building, focusing on the enhanced support that can be provided to small businesses and startups through these Growth Accelerator Partnerships.
By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, the SBA GAFC 2024 catalyzes strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs.
BioBond Adhesives, Inc. (“BioBond”), a portfolio company of Big Idea Venture’s Generation Food Rural Partners I, LP (“GFRP”) Fund, today announces the opening of its headquarters and development laboratories in Lafayette, Indiana. This strategic location will enable BioBond to accelerate the commercialization of its plant-based, biodegradable adhesive and coating alternatives, targeting a wide range of industries including packaging, construction, electronics, furniture, apparel, marine, and aerospace.
BioBond’s mission aligns with the GFRP Fund’s focus on driving innovation and economic growth in rural areas. The fund collaborates with universities across the U.S. to commercialize intellectual property in food, protein, and agriculture.
“We have received tremendous support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, AgriNovus, USDA Rural Development, Greater Lafayette Commerce, and Beck’s in finding a suitable USDA-qualified site located just south of Lafayette,” said Marc McConnaughey, CEO of BioBond. “Indiana is a welcoming environment for startups, and our proximity to Purdue University offers a rich ecosystem for collaboration and growth.”
BioBond is poised to launch four plant-based adhesive and coating products in Q4 2024, a remarkable achievement in less than a year since its inception. “Petro-based adhesives and coatings are a major source of VOCs and microplastics,” stated Frank Klemens, Managing Director of the GFRP Fund. “BioBond’s innovative solutions will reduce our daily exposure to these harmful substances and contribute to a healthier environment.”
Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer for GFRP, added, “Indiana has embraced our investment, and the support from AgriNovus and Beck’s has been instrumental in accelerating BioBond’s technology towards commercialization.”
Anu™, a health and wellness brand developing innovative controlled-environment agriculture systems, won first place and $20,000 among 10 small businesses at the national SCORE 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition in Des Moines, Iowa. SCORE, or Service Corps of Retired Executives, is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Purdue University alumni Scott Massey and Ivan Ball founded anu. The company has received financial support from the Purdue Research Foundation.
“This funding will support sales and the rapid growth of our intellectual property portfolio, focusing on AI computer vision control systems that optimize yield and energy efficiency in our cultivation containers,” said Massey, who acts as CEO.
Anu empowers individuals and communities to sustainably grow Pure Produce® with superior nutrition and flavor, enhanced food safety, and reduced waste.
“The easy-to-use anu seedpod subscription is like ‘Nespresso for plants,’ working in conjunction with our efficient Rotary Aeroponics® technology to effortlessly grow the widest variety of plants indoors,” Massey said.
Winning the competition
Ten small business owners competed in the SCORE competition; Massey was the only one from Indiana. All contestants received guidance from SCORE’s mentors to prepare and deliver their pitch.
Judging criteria included the effectiveness of the presentation, brand identification, uniqueness and viability of the product or service; the thoroughness of the business plan; scalability; and any sustainability or social impact. Financials were also assessed on overall potential.
Established a commercialization partnership with ekō Solutions, a subsidiary of Land Betterment Corp.; this partnership is bringing Pure Produce® Containers to market, offering the performance of a large vertical farm in a modular shipping container, making institutions, military bases, hospitals, schools and other food-serving environments self-sufficient without preservatives or pesticides.
Anu’s solution
Massey said indoor farming has the potential to combat nutrition insecurity by sustainably growing high-quality food closer to consumers, but poor strategies have limited its impact.
“The industry is like the early ice industry — costly and inefficient. Just as the shift toward refrigerators from ice factories made ice accessible, indoor farming must break free from facility constraints,” he said. “Like ice, produce is perishable and needs controlled environments. Success depends on a productive, energy-efficient system that maximizes space, reduces costs and works as simply as a Keurig — letting consumers Harvest When Hungry™ by replacing mature plants with new seedpods.”
Massey said anu’s pilot 20-foot container farm grows tons of produce annually, offering a full return on investment in the time it takes to plan and build a traditional vertical farm.
“Unlike fixed facilities, our containers are deployable in hours, planted that day and harvested within a month, letting operators focus on food prep,” he said. “Our Self-Nurturing™ seedpods, preloaded with nutrients, require no expertise. We maximize space and labor, exponentially increasing the market size to now include institutional markets, bypassing traditional suppliers.”
It’s estimated that disease could cost the global food system up to 20% of production and one scientist is turning to the plant itself to change that. Dr. Kyle Mohler joins us today to talk his recent win at the Rally In-Prize Pitch Competition, his work to detect disease in plants much earlier and the Insignum AgTech’s startup journey in 2024.
Insignum AgTech’s traits allow for the farmer to detect when disease is coming – nearly a week before you would actually see symptoms – an opportunity for farmers to treat with precision and before things are past a point of no return. Kyle gets into the farmer feedback surrounding the technology in action and how it serves as a decision-making tool for their operations.
Fresh off a win at the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition, Kyle talks scaling via test plots across the Midwest. He also talks great milestones for Insignum AgTech in 2024 and where they hope to be headed in the future.
The Agbioscience Innovator Award recognizes outstanding innovators in the agbiosciences that have driven innovation in a way that contributes to economic growth while solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.
This award is open to start-up innovators as well as innovators within larger, more established corporations within the agbioscience community.
New consortium to focus on data-driven, holistic approach to create sustainable and resilient farming practices
On Thursday (Sept. 19), Purdue University and Bayer announced the creation of the Coalition for Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture, a public-private partnership designed to help improve the soil health of farmland while also increasing food production for a growing population.
The coalition’s mission is to generate robust, real-world data in support of regenerative agriculture practices to help farmers restore soil health and biomass, increase biodiversity, and improve the resiliency of ecosystems over time. The coalition’s new framework will also support education and outreach programs to enhance sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
The coalition will be administered through Bayer at Convergence, the company’s innovation center at Discovery Park District at Purdue.
“America’s farmers are already global leaders in providing food worldwide, supplying a substantial amount of grain, meat and other agricultural products,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue’s executive vice president for research. “But with population projections of 9 billion people in the coming years, it’s critical to provide the tools necessary to support those farmers who are called upon to produce even more while also serving as stewards of the land. As a land-grant institution, Purdue is proud to partner with Bayer to find innovative solutions to improve agronomic practices.”
The coalition’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of agricultural systems that restore soil, water and wildlife while making farms healthier and more resilient. The partners say there is a growing need for innovative solutions at scale to address environmental concerns and to create positive, measurable impact to incentivize producers.
“I couldn’t be more excited to see us working alongside like-minded partners — such as Purdue University — who are committed to helping scale regenerative ag practices,” said Bob Reiter, head of research and development at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Through our suite of technologies, we are able to leverage these innovations and help facilitate regenerative ag practice adoption that boosts farmer productivity and creates maximum impact for the environment.”
The coalition aims to deliver science-based recommendations and standardized metrics, tailored by crop type, region and climate, in conjunction with digital tools and robust validation systems.
To achieve this vision, the coalition will focus on several key areas:
Climate-smart agriculture: Integrate technology to adapt to changing weather patterns, improve water management and optimize resource use.
Regenerative practices: Develop more robust practices that capture and store carbon in the soil. Promote techniques that improve soil health and biodiversity and enhance long-term productivity.
Farmer empowerment: Provide farmers with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to adopt sustainable practices and access premium markets for their products.
Profitability and policy advocacy: Provide additional scientific research that supports or incentivizes sustainable practices for farmers and landowners.
The coalition will leverage previous investments in digital phenotyping capabilities at Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE) and at the Purdue Agricultural Centers (PACs) and will utilize dynamic and relevant Extension programs, strength in collaborative research across colleges, and support for related projects that are underway. It will build on these existing strengths to create test beds for sustainable and regenerative agriculture technologies that provide demonstrations for a wide variety of agricultural production systems and technologies — regardless of farm scale or end product.
This public-private partnership is expected to evolve and expand to other partners from the agricultural sector, allowing for an even larger network of field sites to test and collect data on this more holistic approach to farming.
The newly signed agreement is the latest in an ever-expanding partnership. Following an announcement in June 2020, Bayer opened an innovation and collaboration space at the Convergence Center. It serves as the physical hub of the new coalition.
“I am thrilled to see Bayer and Purdue taking the ongoing partnership to a new level and enabling the creation of a world-class research hub focused on regenerative agriculture,” said Susana Diaz, innovation manager and head of Bayer’s innovation center at Purdue. “This initiative will help farmers produce more and unlock downstream value, while actively restoring nature.”
The announcement was made in conjunction with Bayer’s Climate Innovation Day, a two-day summit of leaders and stakeholders in agricultural innovation, climate issues and food sustainability initiatives.
The cornerstone of the agbioscience economy is production agriculture. Without farmers, no amount of agtech, animal health, or plant science would ever be applicable to feed and fuel this world. Today we are joined by Leah Anderson, SVP of Land O’Lakes and president of WinField United, to talk about her drive and motivation to help the farmer – and putting it into action.
Key Takeaways:
The farmer perspective headed into harvest including some stress surrounding commodity prices, input costs and declines in farm income levels.
Pole position challenges for Land O’Lakes and WinField United ahead of next growing season – from access to labor and investment decisions – and how they’re helping the farmer with those hurdles.
Data as a decision driver and the Advanced Acre Rx program as a prescription suite of tools based on a farmer’s most pressing individual needs.
The cooperative model as a differentiator for farmers and the emerging innovations that have Leah most excited – including biologicals and evolving new markets (Carbon, water, etc.).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Zenrelia, a once-daily oral JAK inhibitor for dogs with allergic and atopic dermatitis
Elanco enters the estimated $1.7 billion global canine dermatology market, highly accretive to existing portfolio
In a head-to-head study, Zenrelia was shown to be at least as effective as the market incumbent JAK inhibitor at the primary end point, with an additional endpoint at which Zenrelia got 77% of dogs to clinical remission of itch, compared to 53% of dogs treated with Apoquel® (oclacitinib tablet)1.*
Zenrelia launch begins in U.S. with Elanco now taking orders; product expected to ship in coming days
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zenrelia™, a safe, highly effective, and convenient once-daily oral JAK inhibitor for control of pruritus (itching) associated with allergic dermatitis and control of atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 12 months of age.
Itching is one of the top reasons pet owners bring their dog to the veterinarian, and pet owners and veterinarians want more canine dermatology options. Approximately 17 million dogs suffer from allergic skin disease, including atopic dermatitis, food allergies or flea sensitivity.2 Among pet owners who say their dog’s itch is not under control, 60% say they’ve tried treating the itch, but nothing works.3
The approval of Zenrelia represents an important advancement in treating itchy dogs suffering from chronic, acute or seasonal itch and inflammation in a single, once daily tablet from the start. Zenrelia targets itch where it starts by blocking the pathways involved in allergic itch to break the itch-scratch cycle.4 Zenrelia offers visible improvement from the first dose and minimizes the risk of “rebound itch” which affects many dogs treated with the competitive JAK inhibitor.5-10
“Today is a historic day for Elanco with our first of several expected entries into the fast-growing global canine dermatology market, bringing veterinarians and pet owners a highly effective new solution that got more dogs back to normal levels of itch in a head-to-head study with the current JAK inhibitor on the market1*,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO, Elanco Animal Health. “We are excited to offer veterinarians and pet owners a solution that can relieve the burdens of itch, while also becoming just the second animal health company to offer veterinarians a comprehensive portfolio, including parasiticides, vaccines, pain and other therapeutics, and now, dermatology.”
Promising Results from a Head-to-Head Study1
Elanco conducted a head-to-head noninferiority study comparing the efficacy and safety of Zenrelia and Apoquel for submission in the European Union. The randomized, double-blind study of 338 client-owned dogs with confirmed atopic dermatitis was conducted across 25 study sites in four countries. The study shows one daily dose of Zenrelia is at least as effective as the market incumbent JAK inhibitor at the primary end point on Day 28. Additionally, there were several promising additional endpoints*:
Zenrelia provided consistently greater relief from itch and skin lesions over time, with once-daily dosing from the start while rebound itch was observed in Apoquel treated dogs after dosing decreased to once daily after Day 14.
Zenrelia got more dogs back to normal levels of itch by the end of the study, with 77% of Zenrelia treated dogs achieving clinical remission of itch, compared to 53% of Apoquel treated dogs.
The difference in treatment response was recognized by owners and veterinarians, with both groups rating Zenrelia higher than Apoquel for overall response to treatment from Day 28 through to Day 112.
The adverse event profile was similar between the Zenrelia and Apoquel groups.
Veterinarians And Pet Owners Need More Options
Research shows that nearly 70% of veterinarians would be willing to stock another dermatology product2 as there are still too many dogs that aren’t getting itch relief and many pet owners that would benefit from a more affordable option.
“We’re dedicated to solving these unmet needs in canine dermatology,” said Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President, U.S. Pet Health and Global Digital Transformation. “Zenrelia’s once-daily dosing is more convenient and will be affordable for pet owners with the launch list price about 20% less for nearly all dogs compared to the current JAK inhibitor. Pet owners will appreciate even greater savings in the first 14 days for Zenrelia given its single vs. twice daily dosing. Very importantly, Zenrelia minimizes the opportunity for rebound itch given its consistent once daily dosing compared to the market incumbent.”1, 5-10*
Take for example, Trooper, a one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who enrolled in the Zenrelia clinical trial. Prior to participating in the clinical trial, Trooper’s itch level was 10 out of 10 on the pruritus visual analog scale (PVAS), a validated observation scale for canine itch. By the end of the first two weeks of treatment, he was back to a normal itch level of 1.9 and finished the clinical trial with an itch level of 1.1.** A PVAS score of less than 2 is considered a normal level of itch, also referred to as clinical remission of itch. You can read more about Trooper’s story here.
“I was excited to participate as a clinical investigator in the Zenrelia field study because it is clear we need more treatment options for itchy dogs,” said Dr. Tom Lewis, veterinarian and founder of Dermatology for Animals, a group of veterinary dermatology clinics committed to caring for pets with allergies. “I saw amazing results during the clinical field study and am eager to get many patients started on Zenrelia. Watching dogs get back to normal quickly and seeing the bond restored between the dog and pet parent was incredibly rewarding.”
Demonstrated Safety
The safety of Zenrelia has been demonstrated in multiple toxicity and clinical safety studies. The required margin of safety study for Zenrelia was conducted in healthy dogs dosed with placebo, 1, 2, 3 or 5 times the label dose daily for six months. All dogs completed the study with no serious adverse events.
The Zenrelia label includes a boxed warning on safety related to concurrent vaccine administration based on the results of a vaccine response study. In this study, eight, 10-month-old laboratory beagles received primary vaccinations while being treated with Zenrelia at 3X the label dose. Two dogs were immunosuppressed and euthanized during the study. Antibody responses were evaluated following vaccination. All but one dog responded successfully to modified live vaccines, and two of six dogs responded to inactivated Rabies vaccine at the primary endpoint.
Dogs should be up to date on vaccinations prior to starting Zenrelia. It’s important for veterinarians to read the entire package insert, including the Boxed Warning, before prescribing Zenrelia.
“Zenrelia has been demonstrated to be safe and highly effective in a number of studies,” said Dr. Mara Tugel, veterinarian and Dermatology Medical Strategic Lead at Elanco. “We recognize that veterinarians need clinically relevant data to guide treatment choices, and plan to pursue additional studies to evaluate vaccine response in Zenrelia-treated dogs. We will continue to work to improve the label over time.”
Veterinarians in the U.S. can learn more and place orders for Zenrelia now at Zenreliaforvets.com. Orders are expected to begin shipping in the coming days.
Elanco will conduct a conference call on Friday, September 20, 2024 at 8:00 am eastern time to discuss the Zenrelia approval with the investment community and other interested parties. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the link that will be posted on Elanco’s website at https://investor.elanco.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. A replay will also be available on the website shortly following the call.
