eXoZymes Achieves 100× Scale-up of NCT Production Using Exozymes, Demonstrating Near-perfect Feedstock Conversion

Rhea-AI Summary

eXoZymes (NASDAQ:EXOZ) reported a successful 100× scale-up of its N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) production using its cell-free, exozyme-based biomanufacturing platform on December 11, 2025. The scaled run delivered >99% conversion from feedstock to product and was executed under partner-operated conditions by Cayman Chemical, demonstrating process transferability and robustness. eXoZymes said downstream isolation and full data analysis are ongoing, with additional technical details expected in early 2026.

Positive

• Scale-up achieved: 100× increase in reaction volume
• Feedstock conversion: >99% at scale
• Partner validation: batch executed by Cayman Chemical
• Process attributes: demonstrated transferability and robustness

Negative

• Downstream isolation and NCT extraction still incomplete
• Full experimental data and technical details delayed until early 2026

Key Figures

NCT production scale-up 100-fold Scale-up of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine production using exozyme platform

Feedstock conversion Over 99% Conversion from feedstock to product at large scale

Additional data timing Early 2026 Expected timing for downstream analysis and NCT extraction update

Market Reality Check

$16.01 Last Close

Volume Volume 12,442 is 4.97× the 20-day average of 2,504, indicating elevated interest. high

Technical Price at $16.01 is trading above the 200-day MA of $12.86 and 33.26% below the 52-week high of $23.99.

Peers on Argus

EXOZ gained 14.28% while close peers showed mixed moves: declines in ADAG (-7.65%) and ARMP (-4.71%), with modest gains in TCRX (3%), VTGN (0.44%), and FATE (2.83%), indicating a stock-specific reaction.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 13	Q3 update webinar	Neutral	-0.6%	Quarterly operational and financial update with management commentary.
Nov 13	Leadership changes	Neutral	-0.6%	Appointment of Tyler Korman as CSO and Amy Lunzer as Chief of Staff.
Nov 10	Earnings call scheduling	Neutral	+14.3%	Announcement of upcoming Q3 2025 update webinar and investor access details.
Oct 30	AI panel participation	Neutral	+13.9%	CEO panel appearance highlighting AI‑engineered exozymes and NCT positioning.
Oct 29	Investor conference	Neutral	+13.9%	Conference presentation on cell‑free biomanufacturing platform and NCT product focus.

Pattern Detected

Neutral or informational announcements have often coincided with double-digit positive moves, especially around conferences and investor events, while fundamental updates like quarterly reports saw relatively muted or slightly negative reactions.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, eXoZymes highlighted its AI‑driven, cell‑free biomanufacturing platform and flagship molecule NCT through investor conferences on October 29–30, 2025 and an AI panel on November 4, 2025, all linked with strong ~14% gains. In contrast, the Q3 2025 operational update and leadership changes on November 13, 2025 coincided with a modest -0.61% move. Today’s scale‑up milestone for NCT fits the narrative of technology- and story-driven catalysts drawing stronger interest than routine financial updates.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights a 100-fold scale-up of NCT production with over 99% feedstock conversion using eXoZymes’ cell-free biomanufacturing platform, reinforcing the technical case previously showcased at investor conferences and AI panels. Historically, the stock reacted more strongly to platform and visibility news than to routine quarterly updates. Investors may watch for the early 2026 data release on downstream analysis and NCT extraction, alongside future funding and commercialization updates.

Key Terms

feedstock technical

"conversion level of over 99% from feedstock to product"

Feedstock is the raw material—such as crude oil, natural gas, agricultural crops, or recycled plastics—used as the primary input to make fuels, chemicals, plastics, or other industrial products; think of it as the ingredients you put into a factory recipe. For investors, feedstock matters because its price, supply stability and quality directly shape producers’ costs, profit margins and ability to meet demand, so shifts in feedstock markets can alter company earnings and valuations.

biomanufacturing technical

"next generation of biomanufacturing," said Michael Heltzen"

Making medicines, vaccines and other products using living cells or biological systems instead of purely chemical processes; it is the industrial-scale “cooking” of biological ingredients into finished medical products. Investors care because biomanufacturing determines how quickly and cheaply a company can deliver therapies, meet demand, pass regulatory checks and protect earnings—like a bakery’s ovens and recipes deciding how much bread it can sell and at what cost.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / December 11, 2025 / Today, eXoZymes Inc. (NASDAQ:EXOZ) ("eXoZymes") - a pioneer of AI-enhanced enzymes that can transform sustainable feedstock into nutraceuticals and new medicines - announced the successful achievement of a 100-fold scale-up of its N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) production process using its proprietary exozyme-based, cell-free biomanufacturing platform. This effort, with a conversion level of over 99% from feedstock to product, marks a major milestone in the scalability of the exozymes platform.

"Scaling a complex biocatalytic reaction by 100× while sustaining high feedstock conversion strengthens our belief that exozymes will form the foundation of the next generation of biomanufacturing," said Michael Heltzen, CEO of eXoZymes. "We're very enthusiastic about this progress and see it as an important inflection point in demonstrating that cell-free, enzyme-driven systems can be engineered to operate reliably at scale. This truly opens the door to producing molecules that have historically been constrained by traditional manufacturing approaches."

The scaled reaction maintained exceptionally high conversion efficiency, demonstrating near-complete transformation of input feedstock into target product under large-volume operating conditions. This performance confirms that the exozyme-driven process not only scales linearly but can match - or exceed - conversion levels observed at smaller scales. The batch production was executed using standardized protocols under partner-operated conditions by Cayman Chemical, underscoring the robustness, transferability, and scalability of the process and technology.

Dr. Tyler Korman, CSO of eXoZymes, adds, "Scaling while preserving reaction performance has historically been challenging, and this outcome supports the growing body of evidence that cell-free enzyme production pathways - aka exozymes systems - can overcome fundamental limitations associated with traditional biomanufacturing approaches. Achieving over 99% conversion at scale is a significant validation of our exozyme biosolution - both from a scientific as well as a commercial point of view."

Cayman Chemical and eXoZymes are working on the isolation process for NCT as well as still analyzing the data from the experiment. Additional technical details are expected to be published in a subsequent press release following completion of downstream analysis and NCT extraction. Due to the magnitude of the work and the upcoming holidays, this additional information should not be expected until early 2026.

About Cayman

Cayman Chemical helps make research possible by providing products and services to scientists worldwide. Cayman's collection includes high-quality biochemicals, assay kits, antibodies, and proteins, empowering researchers to understand the biological mechanisms of health and disease and develop new therapies. Cayman's scientists are experts in the synthesis, purification, and characterization of biochemicals ranging from small drug-like heterocycles to complex biolipids, and fatty acids, and is highly skilled in all aspects of assay and antibody development, protein expression, crystallization, and structure determination. In addition, Cayman offers a wide range of analytical services using LC-MS/MS, HPLC, GC, and many other techniques. Cayman performs generic drug development and production in both Ann Arbor, Michigan and Neratovice, Czech Republic.

Learn more at www.caymanchem.com

About eXoZymes
Founded in 2019, the company has developed a biomanufacturing platform that - as a historic first - offers the tools and insights to design, engineer, control and optimize nature's own natural processes to produce very valuable natural products, via a commercially scalable, sustainable, and eco-friendly alternative: exozymes.

Exozymes are advanced enzymes enhanced through AI and bioengineering to thrive in a bioreactor without using living cells. Exozymes can replace toxic petrochemical processes and inefficient biochemical extraction with sustainable and scalable biosolutions that transform biomass into essential chemicals, nutraceuticals and medicines.

By freeing enzyme-driven chemical reactions from the limitations imposed by cells, exozyme biosolutions eliminate the scaling bottleneck that has hampered commercial success in the synthetic biology (SynBio) space, making exozymes the next generation of biomanufacturing.

While the company, eXoZymes Inc., has introduced "exozymes" as a scientific concept, they are not trademarking the concept, as they view it as a new nomenclature for wide adoption for this next generation of biomanufacturing that eXoZymes aims to pioneer and be the market leader of.

Learn more at exozymes.com

eXoZymes Safe Harbor

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the company's future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "goal," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "strategy," "future," "likely," "potential," or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the company's strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of eXoZymes' quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, annual reports on Form 10-K, and other documents filed by eXoZymes from time to time by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and eXoZymes assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. eXoZymes does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

eXoZymes contact
Lasse Görlitz, VP of Communications
(858) 319-7135
press@exozymes.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/exozymes
https://x.com/exozymes
https://www.youtube.com/@exozymes

SOURCE: eXoZymes

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What did eXoZymes (EXOZ) announce about NCT production on December 11, 2025?

eXoZymes announced a 100× scale-up of NCT production with >99% feedstock conversion using its exozyme, cell-free platform.

How efficient was the scaled NCT run reported by EXOZ?

The company reported a conversion level of over 99% from feedstock to product at the scaled volume.

Who performed the partner-operated batch for EXOZ's scale-up and why does it matter?

The batch was executed by Cayman Chemical, which the company cites as evidence of process transferability and robustness.

Will eXoZymes publish the full NCT data and when can investors expect it?

eXoZymes said downstream analysis and isolation are ongoing and additional technical details are expected in early 2026.

Does the EXOZ announcement confirm commercial NCT production is underway?

No; the announcement reports a successful scaled experiment but notes that isolation and full data review are still in progress.