Amyris expands with Antibióticos in Spain, Switzerland's Firmenich

In California, Amyris and Firmenich announced that they are expanding their collaboration agreement to include a third ingredient for the flavors and fragrances market. Under the current agreement, established in November 2010, Firmenich is funding work at Amyris to develop a first ingredient with rights to co-fund a second.

The parties expect to begin work on the second ingredient on schedule and, as a result of the performance so far, have decided to expand the collaboration to now incorporate a third ingredient.

Under the agreement, Amyris will manufacture and supply key ingredients to Firmenich, and Firmenich will market and distribute them exclusively in the flavors and fragrances market. Both parties will share in the economic value derived from these ingredients.

Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned company in the fragrance and flavor business. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, it has created many of the world’s best-known perfumes and flavors.

In other news, Amyris announced the commissioning of its second industrial-scale facility for the production of Biofene, Amyris’s renewable farnesene. The production facility is located in León, Spain at a facility owned by Antibióticos.

Amyris is currently producing Biofene using Amyris equipment at a facility owned by Biomin do Brasil Nutricão Animal in Piracicaba, Brazil.

Amyris has five production agreements in place including contract manufacturing agreements with Antibióticos, Biomin, Paraíso Bioenergia, Tate & Lyle, and a joint venture with Usina São Martinho, one of the largest sugar and ethanol producers in Brazil. Amyris has also established chemical finishing capabilities under a production agreement with Glycotech.