Novus International, Inc. and Verenium Corporation announced the name of their new phytase enzyme product, CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE. This new innovative phytase is specifically designed to unlock more of the hidden nutritional value in phytate for improved animal growth and well-being.

The two companies, which entered into a strategic partnership in 2011, designed CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE to have specific performance characteristics that offer significant advantages over current phytase products. These performance characteristics include:

• High in vivo activity under gastric conditions for sustained performance
• Improved activity at low substrate concentrations to maximize phytate hydrolysis
• High gastric stability for activity throughout the upper gastrointestinal tract
• High intrinsic thermotolerance and pelleting stability
• Improved bioavailability due to the elimination of the need for thermo protective coatings

Animal trial results have demonstrated the superior performance characteristics that CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE provides, based on standard metrics such as weight gain, feed conversion ratios and phosphorus mineralization (tibia ash) versus other available phytase products. These results indicate that inclusion of CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE in monogastric diets can provide improved nutrition and economics to the animal feed industry.

Novus and Verenium expect to launch this product in certain geographical regions beginning in 2013.