eXoZymes Inc. (NASDAQ: EXOZ) announced improvements to its manufacturing process for N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT), a compound the company is developing for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

According to a press release from the Los Angeles-based company, the optimized process produced approximately 67% more NCT per liter compared to a previously announced 100-liter pilot run, while reducing reaction time by more than 80%. The company said these combined changes resulted in a tenfold increase in manufacturing productivity.

eXoZymes said internal process-cost assessments indicate the estimated manufacturing cost equivalent has declined more than 100 times from the first version of the NCT process to the current optimized process. The company did not disclose absolute cost figures.

"In less than two years, we have moved NCT from an idea to a biosolution with performance and cost levels placing us beyond our original commercial launch targets," said Damien Perriman, Chief Commercial Officer of eXoZymes.

Paul Opgenorth, PhD, VP of Development and co-founder of eXoZymes, said the focus since the 100-liter pilot has been on making the process "more productive, faster, simpler, and ready for commercial manufacturing."

The company said it is now focused on advancing the process toward technology transfer to commercial manufacturing partners. eXoZymes noted it has been transitioning toward commercially relevant process and supply chain operations as part of broader industrialization efforts.

Founded in 2019, eXoZymes uses a cell-free biomanufacturing platform based on AI-enhanced enzymes to produce natural products and analogs. In addition to NCT, the company is developing cannabinoid analogs, santalene, and other molecules, with commercialization paths that include partnerships, licensing, and joint ventures.