Croda Acquires IRB to Strengthen Personal Care Foothold

IRB has developed an exclusive biotech method for sourcing non-GMO plant stem cell ingredients with the highest level of safety and quality. The process ensures a total absence of environmental contaminants is guaranteed. The active components are highly standardised allowing reproducible efficacy, using the HTN purification technology.

14 Aug 2012 --- Croda International Plc announces the acquisition of IRB (Istituto di Ricerche Biotecnologiche SpA.). IRB entered the active ingredients market in 2009 after 10 years of research and as a result of its cutting edge technology and “know how”, it has become the world leader in the emerging market of plant cell culture actives both in Personal Care and Health Care. IRB has a unique position in the market with the widest range of plant cell lines characterized by specific markers and the ability to manufacture titrated plant extracts through its HTN (High Tech Nature) green biotech process.

IRB has developed an exclusive biotech method for sourcing non-GMO plant stem cell ingredients with the highest level of safety and quality. The process ensures a total absence of environmental contaminants is guaranteed. The active components are highly standardised allowing reproducible efficacy, using the HTN purification technology.

The IRB process is unique in terms of its speed and versatility: surpassing the plant biological cycle whilst maintaining the natural conditions for growth and development. It is safe, sustainable and eco-friendly. Starting from a leaf, a flower or a seed, only a small amount of plant tissue is required to find specific active substances. Utilizing this small amount, however, requires in-depth scientific and technological knowledge.

The IRB process also allows rare or endangered species to be used, thus safeguarding biodiversity and with minimal environmental impact. Comparative data with conventional agriculture shows a 99.9% decrease in water consumption, negligible soil occupation with the total absence of pesticides or other contaminants.
In this way the IRB process shortens the path to the ideal active plant ingredient whilst guaranteeing excellent quality standards and surpassing all aspects associated with traditional active ingredients, such as:
- unlimited availability, a truly sustainable process with no impact on the environment or biodiversity,
- guaranteed purity, as a result of the precise selection of those cells that produce more of a particular active ingredient,
- free from any type of pollutant, since plant stem cells are grown in a sterile and protected environment, without pesticides, heavy metals or aflatoxines,
- non GMO, as the DNA of plant cells remains intact.

IRB’s reproducible product composition profile, in combination with Sederma’s extensive performance testing and claims validation, will guarantee efficacy previously unknown in plant extract technology.

This is an exciting acquisition for Croda and the Personal Care industry. Croda, via the Sederma brand will use our knowledge, expertise and global positioning to bring IRB’s world leading plant cell culture technology to all of our customers. Plant cell culture biotechnology is the leading, new technology for delivering proven activity as well as true sustainability.

The IRB products will add to the Sederma product portfolio, already widely acclaimed for our peptide anti-ageing ingredients as well as other bioactive molecules. IRB will benefit from significant investment as part of the Croda group. In combination with the world leading Sederma expertise in efficacy testing and proven ingredient functionality, the focus will be to rapidly accelerate developing the technology in the Personal Care and Health Care markets. We will do this through our world class global selling and distribution network.