Kaneka Corp.

JIAXING, China, Jan. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cocrystal Technology Co., Ltd. ("Cocrystal"), a pioneer of applying drug cocrystal technology in nutritional solutions, has been named in a lawsuit filed by Kaneka Corporation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Case Number:1:23-cv-07483-APR-SJB), alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,829,080 (the "080 Patent"). This lawsuit centers on Cocrystal's innovative product, Crystal QH®, a premium reduced coenzyme Q10 supplement. Cocrystal is dedicated to advancing health and wellness through innovative cocrystal technology. Beyond its flagship product, Crystal QH®, Cocrystal has developed a variety of active ingredients with significantly improved stability and bioavailability for the dietary supplement applications. Cocrystal is vigorously pursuing the invalidity of claims under the 080 Patent, and is confident in a favorable outcome. In the lawsuit, Cocrystal asserts that the claims associated with the 080 Patent are deficient in novelty, creativity, and adequate disclosure. The patent claims patent rights over the presence of any amount of reduced coenzyme Q11 within reduced coenzyme Q10, despite Q11 being a naturally occurring impurity in Q10, as documented in USP standard and various research publications. Cocrystal is fully committed to defending its legitimate rights and ensuring that the ongoing lawsuit will not impact the market sales of Crystal QH® in United States and any other markets, and that any customers and partners are not adversely affected by this legal challenge. SOURCE Cocrystal Technology Co., Ltd. WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

TOKYO, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaneka has successfully defended its patent for stabilizing Ubiquinol. On December 20, 2024, Kaneka Corporation won its lawsuit against Designs for Health, Inc. and American River Nutrition, LLC for infringement of Kaneka's U.S. Patent No. 7,829,080 (the "'080 Patent"). The '080 Patent teaches a method of stabilizing ubiquinol against oxidation with a specific composition of chemical compounds. Ubiquinol is the reduced form of the health supplement coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant that promotes cellular energy and heart health, which is more absorbable by the body than its oxidized form. Kaneka commenced its patent infringement action against defendants in 2021 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Kaneka Ubiquinol

Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water. The development provides a platform for the industrial-scale, tunable production of a material that holds great potential for turning the plastic industry green. Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water. The Kobe University development provides a platform for the industrial-scale, tunable production of a material that holds great potential for turning the plastic industry green. Plastic is a hallmark of our civilization. It is a family of highly formable (hence the name), versatile and durable materials, most of which are also persistent in nature and therefore a significant source of pollution. Moreover, many plastics are produced from crude oil, a non-renewable resource. Engineers and researchers worldwide are searching for alternatives, but none have been found that exhibit the same advantages as conventional plastics while avoiding their problems. One of the most promising alternatives is polylactic acid, which can be produced from plants, but it is brittle and does not degrade well. To overcome these difficulties, Kobe University bioengineers around TAGUCHI Seiichi together with the biodegradable polymer manufacturing company Kaneka Corporation decided to mix polylactic acid with another bioplastic, called LAHB, which has a range of desirable properties, but most of all it is biodegradable and mixes well with polylactic acid. However, in order to produce LAHB, they needed to engineer a strain of bacteria that naturally produces a precursor, by systematically manipulating the organism's genome through the addition of new genes and the deletion of interfering ones. In the scientific journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, they now report that they could thus create a bacterial plastic factory that produces chains of LAHB in high amounts, using just glucose as feedstock. In addition, they also show that by modifying the genome, they could control the length of the LAHB chain and thus the properties of the resulting plastic. They were thus able to produce LAHB chains up to ten times longer than with conventional methods, which they call "ultra-high molecular weight LAHB." Most importantly, by adding LAHB of this unprecedented length to polylactic acid, they could create a material that exhibits all the properties the researchers had aimed for. The resulting highly transparent plastic is much better moldable and more shock resistant than pure polylactic acid, and also biodegrades in seawater within a week. Taguchi comments on this achievement, saying "By blending polylactic acid with LAHB, the multiple problems of polylactic acid can be overcome in one fell swoop, and the so modified material is expected to become an environmentally sustainable bioplastic that satisfies the conflicting needs of physical robustness and biodegradability." The Kobe University bioengineers, however, dream bigger. The strain of bacteria they used in this work is in principle able to use CO2 as a raw material. It should thus be possible to synthesize useful plastics directly from the greenhouse gas. Taguchi explains, "Through the synergy of multiple projects, we aim to realize a biomanufacturing technology that effectively links microbial production and material development." This research was commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (grant JPNP20005) and funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan (grant 19K22069) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (grant JPMJTM19YC). It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Kaneka Corporation and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.