Microbial Fermentation of Cannabinoids Provides Advantages over Plant-Based Extraction

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in the engineering and industrialization of biology to improve the quality of life and health of the planet, today announced advances in the development of its microbial platform to produce cannabinoids for medical uses. Through Intrexon's proprietary technologies, the Company has engineered a yeast strain to produce low-cost, robust and consistent cannabinoid outputs via fermentation. This process utilizing microbes has potential to provide greater supply-chain security, and avoids the resource-intensive isolation that often leads to quality and quantity variability in end products.Further, this versatile strain was designed to enable the production of cannabinoids that only are produced today in miniscule amounts in cannabis plants as well as novel cannabinoids. The Company has scaled the process and achieved titers approaching commercially relevant targets with anticipated production of pure cannabinoids at COGS <$1,000/kg."As with some of our other similar projects, in thebaine, for example, microbial fermentation routes to produce cannabinoids provide advantages over traditional plant-based extraction," said Chris Savile, PhD, Executive Director, Commercial Operations. "Through our capabilities and experience, we expect to optimize strains to produce specific cannabinoids that may be commercialized in the coming years."About Intrexon CorporationIntrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA™ to create biologically-based products that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. Intrexon's integrated technology suite provides its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design and development of complex biological systems delivering unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living cells. We call our synthetic biology approach Better DNA®, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com or follow us on Twitter at @Intrexon, on Facebook, and LinkedIn.TrademarksIntrexon, Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA, and Better DNA are trademarks of Intrexon and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.Safe Harbor StatementSome of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business. Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release.For more information regarding Intrexon Corporation, contact:Investor Contact:Steven HarasymVice President, Investor RelationsTel: +1 (214) 721-0607investors@dna.comCorporate Contact:Marie Rossi, PhDVice President, CommunicationsTel: +1 (301) 556-9850publicrelations@dna.comSOURCE Intrexon Corporation