NPC is proud to announce a new open innovation call with a global leader in phytomedicine, Schwabe/Nature’s Way. This is a tremendous opportunity for Canadian start-ups and academic researchers to partner with an international powerhouse on the development of innovative solutions that leverage plant-based ingredients for human health.

Schwabe/Nature’s Way is globally recognized for their library of well-researched plant-based pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. They are looking for start-ups and researchers interested in new phyto-based approaches targeting human health, with a specific interest in Central Nervous System (e.g. cognition and mood disorders), Gastroenterology / Digestion, or Cough & Cold.

Join us Thursday, October 23rd for a quick information session. You’ll hear directly from the innovation leaders at Schwabe/Nature’s Way, and get to ask your questions about this incredible opportunity. Register now.

NPC-SCHWABE GROUP OPEN INNOVATION CALL

• OPPORTUNITY
• THE INNOVATION
• ENGAGEMENT MODEL
• ABOUT THE SCHWABE GROUP
• APPLICATION PROCESS

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Schwabe Group has a vision to help people live healthier lives with natural health solutions. Depending on the geographical and regulatory context, they develop herbal-based medicinal products (pharmaceuticals), or natural dietary supplements.

The huge spectrum of biodiversity in the plant world offers multiple unexplored opportunities for developing new medicines. At the same time, regulatory standards and the complexity of the necessary development steps make it increasingly difficult for any individual company or academic workgroup to master the related challenges alone.

The Schwabe Group is inviting promising academic workgroups and early stage start-ups / university spin-outs to join forces with them by participating in collaborative models with Schwabe / Nature’s Way in an open-innovation approach.

While Schwabe is active across all therapeutic areas and welcomes proposals in other therapeutic areas, there is a special focus on:

• Central Nervous System (e.g. cognition and mood disorders)
• Gastroenterology and Digestion
• Cough & Cold

THE INNOVATION

The Schwabe Group is interested in solutions and ideas to bring more healthy options to patients and consumers. Innovation from its earliest idea to product formulations ready for additional testing are welcome.

Fundable research strategies should follow one of two areas:

• the classical route of standardized (special) extract development; the identification, isolation and characterization of individual active ingredient(s); OR
• leveraging the abundance of diverse chemical structures and scaffolds from natural products as a source for screening activities. This could either be at the early preclinical / discovery stage or already under clinical investigation

Examples:

Examples of previous OIC projects funded by Schwabe include:

• Development of an innovative extraction method and formulation technology for a berry providing diverse health benefits;
• Building a screening cascade for herbal extracts using the platform of the c. Elegans model to identify those conferring the best health benefits;
• Investigating mitochondrial health by a battery of in-vitro models to characterize the effect of natural products;
• Understanding potential health benefits of the class of phyllobilins, a so far underrecognized class of natural products, to explore possible product developments

Technology Readiness: 

Schwabe does not require a given technology readiness to enter into discussions. Their capabilities span the entire life-cycle of development and commercialization, so they can be ready to pick a project up at any level.

Regulatory Approval: 

For dietary supplement solutions, a roadmap for potential regulatory approval / market access in US and Canada is desirable but not mandatory.

ENGAGEMENT MODEL

Your contribution: As motivated scientists from academia or small start-ups, you suggest the research project based on your specific skillset and prior work and interests. After a successful agreement, you would continue to advance your project along the agreed milestones.

Schwabe Group contribution: Schwabe will contribute to selected open innovation projects by providing either funding (e.g. a PhD thesis for 3 years), in-kind support through their laboratory facilities (e.g. MS/NMR analyses, in-vitro pharmacology models), or access to their compound and herbal extract libraries. They also have a number of highly specialized experts across all development phases from discovery to preclinical and clinical development who are more than happy to team up with external groups.

Intellectual Property: The foundation of the cooperation will be a fair and transparent IP sharing agreement that will benefit both sides, based on the success of the project. Depending on the engagement, the IP would typically remain with the academic group and Schwabe would obtain a right of first refusal for potential IP applications and product developments.

ABOUT THE SCHWABE GROUP

Founded in 1866 by pharmacist Dr. Willmar Schwabe, the Schwabe Group today is one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in Europe and a globally leading trailblazer in the field of evidence-based phytomedicine.

For more than 150 years, the driving force behind Schwabe’s success has been its basic scientific research to establish new herbal medicines and subsequent thorough clinical investigations to ensure safe and efficacious use. The company has more than 100 highly skilled scientists and technicians working within Research & Development, located at its global headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Schwabe’s vision is to define the future of phytomedicine, covering the entire value chain of drug and dietary ingredient development, respectively. The company’s labs are capable of using all kinds of high-end bioanalytical, phytochemical, and pharmacological methods to characterize and define novel herbal extracts, which are subsequently developed in innovative formulations and tested clinically to assure safe and efficacious use.

Throughout its history, Schwabe has been a pioneer in establishing science-based and research-driven standards in the quality, production, and characterization of phyto-based new medicines from a phytochemical, pharmacological, and clinical standpoint. Schwabe’s flagship product, special extract EGb761 from Ginkgo biloba, is now recognized globally as the best-researched phyto-based medicine worldwide.

Today, the Schwabe Group has approximately 4,000 employees worldwide, and a representation in 60 countries. In North America, they are present as Nature’s Way and Nature’s Way Canada with a strong engagement in dietary supplements including a broad portfolio of herbal, multivitamins, omega-3 and digestive health solutions under brands such as Sambucus, Alive!, NutraSea and Fortify.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested start-ups or academic researchers are invited to submit a brief summary of their proposed technology/innovation. All information should be non-confidential.

A short submission form will be available here on October 23rd.

Questions can be addressed to David Gauthier, VP Commercialization, Natural Products Canada.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the information session on October 23^rd to better understand the interests of The Schwabe Group.

Timeline:

Information session: October 23

Application deadline: November 22

Notice of interest: December 6

Applicants of interest will be contacted by Natural Products Canada, and introduced to The Schwabe Group. After the initial introductory meeting, all engagement between the applicant and The Schwabe Group will be based on mutually agreed upon disclosure/confidentiality/MTA agreements. NPC will be available as a resource where appropriate.