Kyowa Hakko Bio, a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings, has announced that it will inaugurate a new facility in Thailand to manufacture human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).
The company says the new facility will help meet the increasing global demand for HMOs with a production capacity of approximately 300 metric tons per year. The move also forms part of Kyowa’s growth strategy as it aims to expand its footprint and consolidate its position as a global specialty fermentation manufacturer.
To help meet future demand in China and Southeast Asian markets, the facility will be located in Rayong Province, Thailand, at Kyowa Hakko Bio’s subsidiary Thai Kyowa Biotechnologies.
Kyowa Hakko Bio claims it was the first company in the world to establish an industrial-scale HMO production system.
Following the inauguration of the production facility, Kyowa Hakko Bio plans to supply HMOs to companies worldwide as well as use the plant for its own and Kirin’s product development.
HMOs are complex sugar molecules occurring in human breast milk and are known to be an important nutrient for infants. The facility will manufacture three HMO products 2FL, (2′-fucosyllactose), 3SL (3′-sialyllactose) and 6SL (6′-sialyllactose).
Kyowa has already established manufacturing processes for three of its HMOs, however 3SL and 6SL have never yet been supplied on an industrial scale.
The facility is expected to be in operation in the summer of 2022.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023
