"For many years it has been recognised that there are bacterial infections that persist and are refractory to treatment with antiseptics and antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is currently recognised as one of the highest threats to human health. The inability, thus far, to discover new antibiotics to offset the speed at which microorganisms acquire resistance implies that novel strategies must be developed to combat infectious disease. Neem Biotech is responding to the this global health crisis through the development of first-in-class synthetic antimicrobial molecules to be used as adjunctive agents in potentiating antibiotic efficacy. This strategy of antibiotic sparing drives lower doses and shorter treatment interventions towards the reduced opportunities for the acquisition of resistance. Neem Biotech has extensive experience in producing garlic-derived compounds, known for their antimicrobial activities. Our leading expertise in sulphur chemistry has allowed us to synthesise a library of synthetic derivatives of ajoene, a garlic-derived molecule with established antimicrobial activities and identify a number of analogues with high antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, these molecules synergise with antibiotics and antiseptics in microbial cell killing. This results in the more rapid and efficacious resolution of infection, reducing its spread and dissemination to other anatomical locations. We are now ready to progress our selected drug candidate into preclinical development, but have encountered an analytical challenge, namely, the inability to detect and quantify our molecule in biological samples such as blood and plasma. This poses extraordinary barriers in taking this promising compound further into the clinic, since we are unable to undertake the required regulatory pharmacological, phamacokinetic and toxicology safety studies. Neem has made several attempts to resolve this analytical problem _in-house_ using LC-MS and has outsourced two CRO's to develop and validate detection methods for our compound, both of which were unsuccessful and costly. LGC is the designated institute for Chemical and Bio-Analytical measurement in the UK, working across several sectors. Led by Chris Hopley, an expert in analytical chemistry and Principal Scientist Mass Spectrometry, the group at LGC has a number of instrument platforms and technologies to develop methods for novel target compounds in biological matrices. Importantly, once developed, this method can be easily transferred to a commercial service towards the successful preclinical studies of our selected and all future organosulphur compound assets developed at Neem Biotech."

The project is based around developing a novel wound management dressing to combat biofilm formation and promote wound healing, allowing chronic wounds to be addressed more effectively and increasing the wound healing success rate. Biofilms are a major problem in chronic wounds and the reasons that these infections evade antibiotics and host defences are many, including antibiotic-insensitive physiological states of a proportion of the bacterial cells in a biofilm, and exclusion of host immune cells by the biofilm matrix produced by the bacteria. This makes the wound non treatable and prolonging the healing process, leading to the wound not healing and causing significant disruption to the life of the effected individual and incurring huge medical costs and lost productivity. The dressing will be made of jellyfish collagen, with a novel compound which has proven efficacy in biofilm disruption and in reducing pathogen virulence, allowing the pathogenic bacteria to be destroyed.

For many years it has been recognised that there are bacterial infections that persist and are refractory to treatment with antiseptics and antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the highest threats to human health, given the increasing number of pathogens that develop resistance to known antibiotics as well as the inability, thus far, to discover new ones to offset acquired resistance. Neem Biotech is thus responding to the this world health crisis through the development of first-in-class synthetic anti-microbial molecules to be used as adjunctive agents in potentiating antibiotic efficacy. Neem Biotech has extensive experience in producing garlic-derived compounds known for their antimicrobial activities. Our leading expertise in organosulphur chemistry has allowed us to identify a number of synthetic compounds with high antimicrobial activities and that synergise with antibiotics and antiseptics in microbial cells killing. This results in the more rapid and efficacious resolution of infection, reducing its spread and dissemination to other anatomical locations. Having now progressed our selected drug candidate into preclinical development, we have encountered an analytical challenge, namely, the inability to detect and quantify our molecule in biological samples such as blood and plasma. This poses extraordinary barriers in taking this promising compound further into the clinic since we are unable to undertake the required regulatory pharmacological, phamacokinetic and toxicology safety studies. Neem has made several attempts to resolve this analytical problem in-house using LC-MS and has outsourced two CRO's to develop and validate detection methods for our compound, both of which were unsuccessful and costly. LGC is the designated institute for Chemical and Bio-Analytical measurement in the UK, working across several sectors. Led by Chris Hopley, an expert in analytical chemistry and Principal Scientist Mass Spectrometry, the group at LGC has a number of instrument platforms and technologies to develop methods for novel target compounds in biological matrices. Importantly, once developed, this method can be easily transferred to a commercial service towards the successful preclinical studies of our selected and all future organosulphur compound assets developed at Neem Biotech.

To establish technologies for the growth and subsequent characterization of non culturable bacteria using minimal nutrient cell chambers. To genetically and phenotypically interrogate these bacteria for the production of novel antimicrobials

Biofilms are present in chronic wounds and are known to contribute to continued infection and inflammation with antibiotic resistance of biofilms complicating the problem. Current wound healing treatments are associated with antibiotic resistance and often use mammalian (bovine) collagen treatments, which risks contamination from disease causing agents such as prions (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and interspecies viruses. In the present Feasibility Study, by embedding jellyfish collagen with novel plant derived antimicrobials, it will be possible to produce a prototype product capable of delivering antimicrobial agents directly to the wound and reduce the need for antibiotics. By combating biofilms in chronic wounds, the consortium will reduce the burden on the NHS and drastically improve the quality of life of chronic wound sufferers. The wound healing product output of this project will address the current problems with wound chronicity that contribute to this growing problem in the UK.

Filth feeding flies are major pests of intensive livestock facilities globally and significant losses occur as a result of reduced productivity caused by the nuisance and irritation they cause animals ("fly worry"). Furthermore, flies act as mechanical vectors of a large number of pathogenic organisms of both animals and humans. When fly populations are large, insects may migrate to nearby premises, causing nuisance and creating potential health risks to residents. There are very few insecticides available to control the fly species associated with livestock rearing facilities, a fact that creates the constant risk of resistance development in those products currently in use. The proposed project aims to develop a new insecticidal product based on allicin, a garlic-derived compound, which can be safely used against the major fly pests of livestock, both in the UK and globally. The project will examine the efficacy of the product, the economic case, market size and potential for the new product to be used in the range of other situations where flies are major pests.

Neem Biotech is a specialist manufacturer of high value extracts from sustainable botanical sources and has a world-leading position in the isolation and extraction of high value ingredients from UK-sourced garlic (Allium sativum) which it sells in Europe, Asia Pacific and the USA. The company has a successful track record in the development and commercialisation of patented, plant-derived active ingredients that have broad application in industries such as pharmaceuticals, foods & beverages and agrochemicals. The company will use the TSB Innovation Voucher to access novel technologies from a new partner to further develop its innovative product portfolio.

The project combines the expertise of 4 UK partners to characterise, formulate & develop a UK supply chain for IminoNorm™, a proprietary natural ingredient that, when incorporated into foods & beverages, can address diet-related health conditions such as diabetes and obesity. IminoNorm™ is derived from mulberry leaves which have a strong traditional history of use, particularly in South East Asia (SEA), for blood sugar management. The project will enable the partners to capture a greater share of the product’s value chain, increase UK R&D investment & open up global commercial markets.

Neem Biotech is a specialist manufacturer of high value extracts from sustainable botanical sources and has a world-leading position in the isolation and extraction of high value ingredients from UK-sourced garlic (Allium sativum) which it sells in Europe, Asia Pacific and the USA. The company has a successful track record in the development and commercialisation of patented, plant-derived active ingredients that have broad application in industries such as pharmaceuticals, foods & beverages and agrochemicals. In this project, the company will explore the commercial and technical feasibility of developing new product lines that expand its portfolio whilst minimising the environmental footprint of its production processes. These new products have potential applications as high value food ingredients, animal feeds and/or agrochemicals.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of food borne-illness in the UK. An EU baseline study estimated prevelance in broilers of 75 percent and in boiler carcasses of 86 percent (ESFA, 2011). It is responsible for over 80 deaths p.a. in the UK, over 65 percent of which is derived from campylobacter infected chicken (FSA, 2011). This project will develop two main intervention strategies on the farmand slaughterhouse to reduce the burden of Campylobacter in the UK poultry industry. This is particularly timely due to the recent targets released by the FSA to reduce the proportion of high contaminated carcasses from 27 to 10 percent by 2015. The strategies are based on dietary supplements aimed at reducing Campylobacter survival in the gut (novel anti-microbials); and deployment of novel screening technologies to increase contamination detection on cracasses in the slaughterhouse (flourescent faecal markers).