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Cover Interview


An Aerial image of Biopharm‘s Headquarters in Oban, Scotland


“Early on I learnt how to keep highly creative people motivated - investors want to see results and progress”


components that we don’t need to use any radical technology to keep on finding useful products again and again. All we do is grow it and see what it does. We are very comfortable with that because we are not playing with nature; we are just observing it very carefully to find treasures that nobody knew were there.”


Whilst Aquapharm discoveries are fascinating to hear about, how will Simon and his team’s findings affect the current drugs and cosmetics market and more importantly, impact consumers and patients? Simon tells me what the world has to look forward to.


“In cosmetics, we can use these microorganisms as a sustainable source of new active ingredients for skin care, hair care and personal care. Consumers are eager for natural ingredients that will achieve anti-inflammatory or protecting effects for the skin, either topically or what is known in the industry as ‘beauty from within’, where you can modify or add things to your diet that enhance the way you look and feel.


“We have been working for several years with Croda Plc, whose French subsidiary is Sederma who supply


ingredients to companies such as L’Oreal, Chanel and Dior. For the first three years we worked to screen hundreds of extracts and last year they narrowed this down to about 20 for commercial development, of which three extracts offer anti-inflammatory and cell-protective effects to the skin and are getting close to market.


“Marine bugs contain biochemicals that are relevant to all aspects of aging of the skin – surface protection and softening, changing the texture of the skin, reduction or even prevention of wrinkles and offsetting the effects of UV rays. Some of our microorganisms also secrete natural adhesives that help them to stick to surfaces in the sea and we can use those substances to change the texture of skincare products, such as creating matte finishes that stop undesired shininess.”


As well as taking on luxury cosmetics giants, Aquapharm is also working on revolutionary new ways of tackling digestive and cardiovascular diseases.


“Nutrition is a hot topic, particularly tackling the billions of bacteria that live inside us. The problem at the moment is that this mixture of species gets modestly out of balance and


11 entrepreneurcountry


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