Lestrem and Zwingenberg, 13^th January 2021

Roquette and BRAIN Group agree on production scale-up for protein sweetener

Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for food, nutrition and health markets, biotech pioneer BRAIN AG, and BRAIN Group company AnalytiCon Discovery have successfully completed the R&D phase for the development of Brazzein. The partners have now signed a contractual agreement for its approval and production.

Brazzein is a protein sweetener which is naturally found in African berries Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon. This high intensive sweetener provides an outstanding sweetening potency still preserving taste profile and sugar free functionality. As part of their newly agreed Joint Development Agreement (JDA), Roquette and BRAIN, will now progress with the approval and industrial scale-up of the protein sweetener in the food and beverage sector. Roquette and BRAIN, who first came together during the DOLCE research program and subsequently decided to further develop this sweetener by fermentation, see very good commercial opportunities for this compound, primarily in the beverage industry.

In preparation for the upcoming production phase, BRAIN has already established a highly potent GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) microorganism for the biotechnological production of the sweetener. GRAS strains are well suited for the approval for the food and beverage sector, and BRAIN has already produced the sweetener at laboratory scale with commercially viable yields.

Dr. Sergio Neves, Head of Nutrition & Health, R&D at Roquette emphasizes: "Having completed the DOLCE R&D program, we are now looking to upscale production, and expect to bring the protein sweetener to the market within the next three to four years. Several top Food & Beverage companies have already shown great interest and aim to support us in this project."

Adriaan Moelker, CEO BRAIN AG, comments: "We are very pleased with the positive feedback from Roquette and various consumer goods manufacturers. The sweetener, which we are now jointly approving and producing, was developed especially for the beverage industry, which today utilizes approximately 70% of the sugar consumed worldwide in its products. This illustrates the sales potential that this novel sweetener offers. In the fast growing sweetener market, where taste profile and nutrition have to be enhanced in parallel, we expect our new product to strongly meet the increasing consumer demand."

About Roquette: "Offering the best of nature"

Roquette is a global leader in plant-based ingredients, a pioneer of plant proteins and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients. In collaboration with its customers and partners, the group addresses current and future societal challenges by unlocking the potential of nature to offer the best ingredients for food, nutrition and health markets. These ingredients respond to unique and essential needs, enable healthier lifestyles and are critical components of life-saving medicines.

Thanks to a constant drive for innovation and a long-term vision, the group is committed to improving the well-being of millions of people all over the world while taking care of resources and territories.

Roquette currently operates in over 100 countries, has a turnover of around € 3.7 billion and employs 8,670 people worldwide.

About BRAIN

B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG (BRAIN AG; ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394) is one of Europe's leading technology companies in the area of industrial biotechnology, the core discipline of the bioeconomy. As such, BRAIN identifies previously untapped efficient enzymes, microbial producer organisms and natural substances from complex biological systems, in order to make them utilizable in an industrial context. The innovative solutions and products developed by means of "Nature's Toolbox" are successfully applied in the chemicals, cosmetics and food industries.

BRAIN's business model stands on on two pillars. The BioScience segment comprises mainly research and development business with industrial partners, and the company's own research and development. The BioIndustrial segment consists mainly of business with industrially scalable products. As part of a growth-oriented industrialization strategy, in February 2016 BRAIN AG became the first bioeconomy company to be listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations, and assumptions of the management of BRAIN AG, and are based on information currently available to the management. Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance, and entail both known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Numerous factors exist that could influence the future performance by, and future developments at, BRAIN AG and the BRAIN Group. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the general economic and competitive environment, risks associated with capital markets, currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in international and national laws and regulations, in particular with respect to tax laws and regulations, as well as other factors. BRAIN AG does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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