Bio-Technical Resources (BTR), a division of Arkion Life Sciences LLC, is commercializing its technology to produce glucosamine by microbial fermentation, with product availability in the first quarter of 2003.

Unlike earlier technology that relies on chemically treated shellfish, the newly patented technology utilizes glucose from widely available sources such as corn in a cost-efficient fermentation process.BTR's fermentation glucosamine product is shellfish allergen-free and will have kosher status.

"BTR has been working on this process since 1996, and is now in a position to bring large volumes of consistently high quality product to the market," said Tom Jerrell, president of BTR."Naturally, we are also excited about our capability to bring a related product, N-acetyl glucosamine, forward as well. Our broad patent coverage, both granted and pending, assures we will have unfettered access to these markets world-wide."

Glucosamine is the fastest growing health supplement in the United States, with retail sales expected to exceed one billion dollars in the next few years.The product is widely accepted for its joint health benefits, with numerous studies pointing to decreased joint narrowing and pain relief.TheNational Institute of Health is currently conducting multi-center clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of glucosamine on patients with osteoarthritis. N-acetyl glucosamine is used in the health supplement, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.