Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken Tours Antheia, Discusses the Importance of Biotechnology Innovation in the United States

Visit demonstrates U.S. commitment to bolstering the domestic biotechnology industry and onshoring critical supply chains, including pharmaceuticals

MENLO PARK, Calif. , May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Antheia, the pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer transforming essential medicine supply chains, today hosted Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken for a tour of its state of the art labs, as well as a discussion on biotechnology innovation and leadership in the United States. During his visit, Secretary Blinken met with a panel of industry and policy experts from Atomic AI, Ginkgo Bioworks, MycoWorks, Stanford University, and Twist Bioscience. The discussion was moderated by Christina Smolke, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder at Antheia and focused on the critical role of biotechnology to U.S. national and economic security, the need for strong international partnerships to develop solutions for global good, and the urgency to maintain U.S. leadership in this critical emerging technology.

"We are grateful to Secretary Blinken for his time and attention today, as well as the U.S. government's continued commitment to advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing," said Dr. Smolke, CEO and co-founder, Antheia. "With the ongoing support of both the public and private sectors, a future with resilient, sustainable pharmaceutical supply chains, minimal disruptions to critical drug supplies, and equitable access to essential medicines for all is well-within reach."

On September 12, 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy." According to the White House, "global industry is on the cusp of an industrial revolution powered by biotechnology." As part of the scope of the biomanufacturing executive order, the Department of State is working to promote and protect U.S. technologies and the global bioeconomy.

By Antheia's estimates, advanced biomanufacturing can enable domestic production of over 50 percent of the key starting materials (KSMs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) underlying essential medicines at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional manufacturing. Antheia's first product, thebaine, is a key ingredient used in the production of several drugs on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines lists. Antheia's processes have been validated at scale, demonstrating this technology's viability, commercial-readiness, and societal impact.

About Antheia
Antheia is the next-generation pharmaceutical ingredient producer transforming essential medicine supply chains to end drug shortages. Using its novel whole-cell engineering approach, Antheia's biomanufacturing platform enables the reconstruction of biosynthetic pathways of unprecedented complexity in yeast cells and the scaling of fermentation processes to commercial levels. This highly flexible approach enables on-demand, agile, and resilient biomanufacturing of critical pharmaceutical ingredients, replacing legacy approaches that cannot support the needs of modern healthcare. For more information, visit www.antheia.bio.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mission North for Antheia
[email protected]

SOURCE Antheia