Lexington, Mass., August 22, 2022 — DoubleRainbow Biosciences (“Double Rainbow”), a sustainable biotech company harnessing bioengineering to improve the quality of human health, announced today a new research collaboration with Kelai Pharmaceuticals (“Kelai”) to explore the potential of biosynthetic kavalactone therapeutics. Kelai will include one of Double Rainbow’s molecules in their ongoing cell transcriptome study. Additionally, the two organizations will pair Kelai’s patented advanced drug delivery systems with the leading plant natural product biosynthesis capabilities of Double Rainbow to explore new opportunities for sustainable therapeutics.
Today, as many as 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental or substance use disorders.i Kelai Pharmaceutical specializes in the development of advanced drug delivery (ADD) technologies that utilize natural compounds such as those found in Kava (Piper methysticum) to develop innovative therapies for people living with addiction, mental health disorders, and related conditions. Using Double Rainbow’s proprietary HARMONYTM platform, the companies will leverage synthetic biology to help Kelai unlock the potential of these natural compounds through sustainable biosynthetic production.
“Synthetic biology offers a solution that supports Kelai’s intentions. As a company, our mission includes doing no harm in the name of doing good,” remarks Dr. Jacqueline Jacques, Chief Executive Officer of Kelai Pharmaceutical. “The supply chain for a natural molecule could be exhausted with the creation of even one new drug. It’s an honor to engage with Double Rainbow on some of our early science. We feel very aligned with their team and their vision, and we hope that this discovery process leads to bigger developments in the future.”