Bened Biomedical has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Mexico's leading pharmaceutical company M8 Pharmaceuticals (formerly moksha8). The agreement focused on Brazil & Mexico secures M8 exclusive rights to market PS128™, a psychobiotic with several completed as well as ongoing clinical studies, for mental and neurological disorders.

In the last decades, several studies have shown a crosstalk within the brain-gut-microbiome axis and the way gut and brain communicate. This occurs through the dynamic population of microorganisms (the gut microbiome) colonizing the gastrointestinal tract, producing metabolites, and interacting with the enteric nervous system and with the central nervous system. The patented PS128™, a unique Lactobacillus plantarum strain, is the world's only probiotic scientifically proven to increase dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which can help reduce symptoms of stress, depression, autism, and Parkinson's syndrome.

Brazil and Mexico are the two largest economies in Latin America; accounting for 63% of the region's pharmaceutical market and reaching a +10.3% and 7.3% respectively growth rate from 2019 to 2020 Q1. Also, worthy of mention is that CNS therapeutics occupy a considerable portion of the pharmaceutical market in Latin America, accounting for $5.3 billion in 2019. The region is one of the high potential emerging markets identified for Bened Biomedical to expand its global presence with its unique psychobiotics portfolio. This will be M8's first launch of a probiotic product, expanding the company's portfolio of marketed products focused on the central nervous system area.

Joel Barlan, CEO of M8 said: "We are delighted to partner with Bened to bring a novel psychobiotic to market. Our goal is to continue to raise the standards of mental health care, and we continue to be committed to bringing innovative product to Latin American patients. We are well aware of the unmet needs in this area, and our mission is to continue to positively impact the lives and improve the mental health of patients in Brazil & Mexico"

Mr. Frankie Cheng, CEO of Bened Biomedical commented: "We are very honored to partner with a market leader in pharmaceuticals like M8 to bring PS128™ to those who suffer from the psychological and neurological disorders in Latin America. Combining the market power and reputation of M8 with the efficacy of psychobiotic PS128™, which is already proven in more than 30 countries, we trust that the partnership will effectively benefit the people in the regions. The int'l team led by Alain Delpy, Head of Int'l Business Development, will continue to assist M8 to fully develop the CNS market".