Axitan has announced its strategic partnership with QualiTech for the development and distribution of new endolysin products for the poultry, swine and ruminant industries. Regarding the news, Axitan’s CEO Alfred Zimmerman said: “Endolysins open the doorway to the next generation of antibiotic-free production. We are delighted to have entered into this agreement with QualiTech.”
A biotech company focused on the development of endolysin enzyme products to replace antibiotics in animal feed, Axitan Limited has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with QualiTech – a global manufacturer of animal nutrition, plant nutrition, and food ingredient products and services – for the development and distribution of certain novel endolysin products.
Under the terms of the agreement, QualiTech will be the exclusive distributor for Axitan’s FORC3® product for the swine, ruminant and all poultry markets in North America, except broilers. Axitan stated it will continue to be the exclusive distributor for broilers. FORC3® is a proven solution with unparallelled results in targeting Clostridium perfringens, the causative agent of necrotic enteritis in poultry.
In addition to distributing FORC3® in North America, Axitan and QualiTech are collaborating to develop novel endolysin-based products to resolve pathogenic issues in the swine & ruminant segments. QualiTech will have the exclusive distribution rights of these new products for the swine & ruminant markets in North America.
“Endolysins open the doorway to the next generation of antibiotic-free production. We are delighted to have entered into this agreement with QualiTech. It is a major endorsement for our technology platform and allows us to leverage QualiTech’s leading presence in the North American animal nutrition market,” said Alfred Zimmerman, CEO of Axitan.
Since its formation, Axitan’s biotech team has pioneered the development and incorporation of endolysins into animal feed for targeting and eliminating pathogens historically managed through antibiotics. According to the company’s announcement, Axitan identifies and formulates endolysins into nutrient rich feed additives that help provide material performance benefits to livestock farmers in addition to pathogen mitigation. Endolysins are unique both in terms of their specificity of pathogen target and for not triggering antimicrobial resistance. Axitan’s first product in commercial production is FORC3® which specifically targets Clostridium perfringens in poultry. It has a robust pipeline of new endolysin based products for targeting other pathogens that present production and/or food borne illness issues to the industry.
Scott Hine, President of QualiTech’s Animal Nutrition and Agronomy businesses, commented: “QualiTech is thrilled about the synergies between the Axitan product line and our existing solutions, enabling us to further our strategic focus on early-life vitality and performance, ensuring a strong start and sustained growth. Axitan’s proven success with their technology positions them as the ideal development partner for introducing the next generation of performance-enhancing, non-resistance-triggering, antibiotic-free feed additives. Common pathogens cause billions of dollars in economic losses annually across the swine, ruminant, and poultry industries. At QualiTech, we are committed to delivering high-quality ingredients and nutrients that support animal health and wellbeing. With consumer demand increasingly favoring antibiotic-free, high-protein food sources, QualiTech and Axitan are poised to lead the way.”
