Research & Development

QS21/QS7: The natural molecule from Quilaja saponaria (Chilean tree) QS21 coupled with QS7 is currently the core of most potent immunological adjuvant in the world for protein vaccines and immuno-oncology but the increasing demand from pharmaceutical companies producing Covid-19 and Malaria vaccines puts further pressure on the limited supply sources.  To make supply matters worse, 17 other QS21-based vaccines are currently in trials. QS21/QS7 supply is challenged by extremely difficult access, quality issues and astronomical prices. Alkion uses its core technology of culture and elicitation in bioreactors to offer a large-scale year-round supply and drastically decrease the costs of production. One large bioreactor will produce the necessary adjuvant for over 2 million doses of vaccines at prices 300x cheaper than current methods of production, whilst preserving biodiversity. Alkion collaborates with worldwide organisations and universities to develop next-gen vaccines and provide their access to developing countries to fight infectious and emerging diseases.

Recombinant proteins: Alkion’s R&D teams are currently working  on the production in chloroplasts of a model plant of two active pharmaceutical ingredients that are currently very expensive and highly polluting. Combining this technology to our culture and elicitation in bioreactors allows us to reach high yields and compete with fermentation methods’ costs while bringing sustainability, safety, and quality.

In 2018 Alkion was granted the first R&D license for medical Cannabis by the French health authority, followed by large extensions in 2020 and 2023. Since then, the R&D team has focused on the development of production protocols of top quality complex extracts and rare cannabinoids (Cannabis compounds) for medical purposes. The resulting technology is a game changer in the industry. We have leveraged 12 years of R&D to design an industrial process using automated large plant bioreactors “Alkaburst 2.0” that solves critical market issues : low quality and huge variability, high costs, and pollution. We have partnered with biotech companies around the world to improve our genetics and collaborated on making highly sought-after minor and rare cannabinoids available to the industry. Alkion’s innovative processes are protected by its two historical patent families (process and large bioreactors) and we have further patented two methods specifically on this subject: flowering and decarboxylation of cannabinoids in plant bioreactors.

Alkion is developing a natural and healthy sweetener for the food industry. With its agri-food partners, the team has selected and adapted one sweet protein with exceptional physico-chemical properties for an industrial use: the Mabinlin II from Capparis masakai, a plant that is found in traditional Chinese medicine and that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. In this research Alkion is supported by I-nov (France Agrimer) to work on two ways of production: biostimulation of Capparis biomass in bioreactors and under a recombinant protein form.

Alkion’s technology has an extraordinary potential for the production of psychedelic compounds in plants. We have selected 5 molecules that meet the requirements to be produced in plants at low costs in our bioreactors. We are collaborating with biotech companies working on the development of promising psychedelics-based treatments for psychiatric conditions such as depression and schizophrenia, and specific cancer treatments.