Biotech cannabinoid maker teams with MetaLabs on hair care innovation

"​Together with Metalabs, we are poised to transform the traditional haircare products market with these new, cannabinoid-based natural supplements,”​ Eric Steen, PhD, CEO of Lygos, tells the press.

“We believe we’re just beginning to understand the vast potential of these ingredients and the many health and wellness benefits they offer across a number of sectors,” ​says Steen.

Lygos CBx makes cannabinoids for use in cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer products. Using a proprietary fermentation tech, the company produces CBG, CBC, CBD, CBN, CBGA, CBCA, CBDA, CBDV, as well as custom polyketides, and sells them to industry in volumes from 10s of kilograms to 100s of kilograms, according to the company site​. And Lygos CBx will, upon request, “deliver oil based, aqueous salt, ester forms or other related phases of interest to aid in formulation requirements.”​

Lygos CBx is building partnership to get biotech CBG into beauty product formulations

The hair care product development deal with Metalabs it the second in as many months for Lygos CBx. In November Lygos CBx partnered with High Beauty Inc.​

And as that skin care brand’s Founder and Formulator Melissa Jochim explained in a media release about the deal, “High is expertly formulated with Cannabis sativa seed oil in combination with bioflavonoids and terpenes to provide all the nutrients needed for healthy, beautiful skin. We are now able to enhance our new High & Bye collection with Lygos’ pure Lygos-CBG.”​

The newly announced partnership with MetaLabs will see the develop of new product formulas come to market in hair care. “We are excited to work with Lygos and leverage its proprietary cannabinoid production platform to make a line of innovative consumer haircare and shampoo products that delivers on the promise of our innovative brand,”​ says Michael Yoo, MetaLabs CEO.

He goes on to note how this sort of partnership can help serve as proof-of-concept for a new ingredient and open up a new market: “MetaLabs and Lygos share a vision of improving wellness and health through high-quality products and the access to key enabling ingredients, such as Lygos-CBG, will lead us to new markets in the future.”​

What are the hair care benefits of CBG?

Lygos CBx and MetaLabs intend to launch a consumer hair care product line in 2021 set to comprise, “haircare and shampoo products designed for a deep cleansing and purifying process that promotes strand resistance while enhancing volume, shine and growth,” ​according to this month’s press release about the partnership.

But between now and then, the two companies will work together on formulation as well as safety and efficacy studies. The partnership focuses on hair care because early data shared in three separate publications cited by Lygos CBx, “CBG is a cannabinoid that has been reported to interact with the endocannabinoid receptors that are involved in hair growth and inflammation.”​

Those publications are:
(citations taken verbatim from the LycosCBx release)

Cascio, M., Gauson, L., Stevenson, L., Ross, R. and Pertwee, R. (2010), Evidence that the plant cannabinoid cannabigerol is a highly potent α2‐adrenoceptor agonist and moderately potent 5HT1A receptor antagonist. British Journal of Pharmacology, 159: 129-141. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00515.x​

Telek A, Bíró T, Bodó E, Tóth BI, Borbíró I, Kunos G, Paus R. Inhibition of human hair follicle growth by endo- and exocannabinoids. FASEB J. 2007 Nov;21(13):3534-41. doi: 10.1096/fj.06-7689com. Epub 2007 Jun 12. PMID: 17567570.

Navarro, G., Varani, K., Reyes-Resina, I., Sánchez de Medina, V., Rivas-Santisteban, R., Sánchez-Carnerero Callado, C., Vincenzi, F., Casano, S., Ferreiro-Vera, C., Canela, E. I., Borea, P. A., Nadal, X., & Franco, R. (2018). Cannabigerol Action at Cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 Receptors and at CB1-CB2 Heteroreceptor Complexes. Frontiers in Pharmacology​, 9​, 632. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00632​