Axitan UK Ltd., a biotech company focused on the development of endolysin enzyme products to replace antibiotics in animal feed, has appointed Alfred (Al) Zimmerman as its new CEO.
Zimmerman brings a wealth experience from the biotech and animal feed additive industries to Axitan. Axitan’s founder and former CEO, Kane Miller, will continue to lead the expansion of the company’s technology platform and associated end-market products, in the newly formed position of chief innovation officer.
“Al’s industry insight and proven track record of building businesses within the animal feed sector brings the right balance to Axitan’s senior management team as we transition into the full commercialization phase,” Miller said. “His enthusiasm for introducing new technologies and products, combined with his commercial and operating experience, will be instrumental in driving Axitan’s commercialization efforts for our endolysin platform and products.”
Zimmerman was previously with Novus International from 2015-23 and recently led innovation growth strategy, business development, acquisitions and alliances. Prior to Novus, Zimmerman established and led the dietary supplement finished format business at DuPont (now IFF). During his tenure at DuPont, which was focused on developing probiotics for humans and animals, he oversaw the development of the probiotic manufacturing platform within the U.S. and the finished format manufacturing platform globally.
“I am greatly honored to be joining Axitan,” Zimmerman said. “Kane and his team have developed an exceptional technology platform based on the company’s core endolysin expertise. They have likewise developed a solid operational foundation and, in FORC3, have introduced a groundbreaking product to the market. I look forward to working with them to further advance the platform and accelerate the company’s commercial development, building on the early momentum already seen from within the livestock industry for its products.”
Since its formation, Axitan’s biotech team pioneered the development and incorporation of endolysins into animal feed as the mechanism of choice for targeting and eliminating pathogens historically managed through antibiotics in animal feed. The company formulates its endolysins into nutrient-rich products to provide material performance benefits to livestock farmers in addition to pathogen mitigation. Axitan has already successfully developed the ability to express endolysins in microalgae and is working on novel bacterial systems to deliver endolysin-based solutions with enhanced nutritional health effects for targeting gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens. Axitan is focused on developing solution stacks for the monogastric and aqua markets as well as leveraging its platform into other species.
