Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP)
Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) has developed and out-licenses its proprietary DehydraTECH™ technology for improved taste, rapidity and delivery of bioactive compounds, including nicotine and cannabinoids. To achieve higher absorption rates and fast onset, consumers traditionally defaulted to smoking. Lexaria provides a superior administration method by delivering these substances through a patented process within edible food products, thus eliminating all the harmful health consequences of smoking.
Lexaria's technology is unique in that it takes advantage of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) food ingredients processed with its patented DehydraTECH technology to improve taste, remove odor and decrease the time to onset of bitter-tasting drugs. Lexaria is primarily a B2B enterprise and has existing cannabinoid licensing agreements with companies in Canada and the United States. Lexaria has also developed its own hemp-oil brands partly for demonstration purposes, utilizing its patented technology to infuse hemp oil ingredients within popular foods such as coffee, tea and supplements. These brands include ViPova™, TurboCBD™ and ChargD+™.
Virtually unique across both the hemp and the cannabis industries, Lexaria has successfully entered into a R&D and product development partnership with one of the largest cigarette companies in the world for oral forms of nicotine delivery. Only a small handful of hemp or cannabis-related companies have achieved formal relationships with Fortune 500 industry leaders, demonstrating the wide applicability of Lexaria's technology.
In June 2019, building on its original 2015 independent, third-party laboratory in vitro lab experiments, which confirmed the absorption levels of cannabidiol ("CBD") into human intestinal cells rose by 499% through the utilization of the DehydraTECH technology, Lexaria completed a series of animal studies using an enhanced formulation of its DehydraTECH technology. The results of the animal studies using the enhanced DehydraTECH formulation showed an increase of CBD delivery into the blood when compared to generic industry MCT coconut-oil formulations by 811%. In addition, the animal studies also showed delivery of 1,937% more CBD into animal brain tissue after 8 hours using the enhanced DehydraTECH technology when compared to generic industry MCT coconut-oil formulations.
Lexaria also has completed the first phases of its collaborative research program with the Canadian government's National Research Council (the "NRC") under which several studies were designed to optimize Lexaria's DehydraTECH technology, enabling delivery of API's within foods, beverages, capsules and other ingestible formats. These studies investigated the lipophilic active agent classes including cannabinoids, vitamins, NSAIDs and nicotine using advanced analytical techniques, including mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance testing, with the results of the studies confirming that Lexaria's DehydraTECH technology did not create any covalent-bonded new molecular entity ("NME"). Whenever an NME is created, regulatory bodies such as FDA and Health Canada routinely require extensive health, safety and efficacy studies prior to that product's release into the marketplace. That the NRC program failed to find evidence of an NME suggests products utilizing the DehydraTECH technology may require a less burdensome regulatory pathway.
Results from this R&D have helped support B2B relationships with Fortune 500 companies. Lexaria has four distinct subsidiaries that focus on different market sectors: hemp/CBD; pharmaceutical; cannabis; and nicotine. In August 2019, Lexaria was issued its cannabis research and development licence from Health Canada which will allow Lexaria to continue its further investigations in-house of its DehydraTECH technology in connection with cannabinoids, along with ongoing work with vitamins, NSAIDs, PDE5-inhibitors, nicotine and other molecules.
Aside from testing, a critical component of Lexaria Bioscience's business model is a strong and growing intellectual property portfolio. As of the August 2019, the company's patent portfolio includes ~60 patent applications filed and pending in more than 40 countries around the world; and 16 patents granted to date. Lexaria is expecting additional new patent awards both in the U.S. and internationally by the end of 2019 and beyond. Some of its more recent areas of investigation have included human hormones and erectile dysfunction substances, among others. Lexaria's granted patent portfolio related to cannabinoid delivery is one of the largest in the world.
Royalties play a vital role in Lexaria's revenue-generating business model. The company out-licenses its technology to third-partners and has signed licensing agreements with start-up companies as well as with a Fortune 100 industry leader. The company's growth initiatives are guided by a management team headed by CEO Chris Bunka, a serial entrepreneur who has contributed to several multi-hundred million-dollar valuations over the course of his career. He is supported by a growing team of professionals with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and bioscience sectors, invention, toxicology, consumer goods and other relevant skillsets.
