Novozymes caused a stir when it developed a biofermentation process for the manufacture of hyaluronic acid. Hans Ole Klingenberg, global marketing director at Novozymes Biopharma, reveals how Hyasis is going from strength to strength.
Hyaluronic acid (HA), also known as hyaluronan, is a naturally occurring polysaccharide ubiquitous in nature, which is distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial and neural tissues in the human body. As a component of the extracellular matrix, HA provides structure to tissues, including skin and cartilage, and as a result is well suited to a wide range of biomedical applications. It functions as a binding and protecting agent in tissue hydration and lubrication.
By supplementing the natural levels of glycosaminoglycan in the human body and providing exceptional water-binding, viscoelastic and biological properties, HA serves as a major ingredient in pharmaceutical and medical device products.
Comprising a high molecular weight, HA is a linear polysaccharide composed of alternating molecules of glucosamine and glucuronic acid. From the 1980s onwards, the understanding of HA properties and functions has expanded and today HA is recognised as a high-value biomaterial with numerous proven and marketed applications within aesthetic medicine, dietary supplements and biomedical areas.1
Due to its intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability and diverse biological functions, HA is widely used in medical devices and pharmaceutical applications, including eye drops, viscoelastic devices and topical formulations. It can bring new and improved attributes to existing products, while also offering numerous opportunities when developing novel formulations.
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