Aker BioMarine ASA has acquired all krill-related patents, pre-clinical and clinical data, and processing equipment from Nasdaq-listed Acasti Pharma.
The transaction is a settlement towards a contractual obligation of US$3.1m Acasti has towards Aker BioMarine, and has no cash effects.
With this transaction, Aker BioMarine continues to consolidate all relevant krill intellectual properties (IP), and further strengthen its leadership position.
The data acquired, which documents the strong cardiovascular benefits from krill oil, will further strengthen the attractiveness of Superba (registered trademark) krill oil in the dietary supplement market.
In addition, this gives Aker BioMarine an option to later pursue pharmaceutical opportunities originated from Acasti Pharma. The company currently has no plans of pursuing that option.
The company is already making great strides with its innovation, with the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) including its Superba Boost Krill oil as an ‘assessed listed’ medicine in September, and LYSOVETA officially achieving new dietary ingredient (NDI) status in the US in August.