Press Releases

PARIS and EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amyris, Inc.(Nasdaq:AMRS), a leading renewable products company, announced today the selection of Laserson, S.A., a leading supplier of ingredients for the health and beauty industries, as the new exclusive distributor of Amyris Squalane in the European market. The joint announcement was made in Paris at In-Cosmetics, the leading trade show for the personal care ingredients industry.

"Since our first sale of Amyris Squalane two years ago, we have grown to become a leading global supplier of high-purity squalane to the cosmetics and personal care market. We are now helping to grow the global market for renewable squalane working in partnership with Laserson and leading European formulators," said John Melo, President & CEO of Amyris.

"Laserson is a historical supplier of squalane, a best-in-class emollient that, until recently, had been sourced only from shark liver or olive oil. Amyris's breakthrough proprietary technology converts plant-sugars into squalane of uncompromising quality and consistent performance, allowing us meet consumer demand for both quality and sustainability," said Jerome Theobald, Managing Director of Laserson.

Amyris and Laserson representatives will be available at In-Cosmetics at Stand G71.

AMYRIS SQUALANE

Squalane is an emollient that prevents skin moisture loss while restoring the suppleness and flexibility to the skin. Its exceptional moisturizing properties and perfect affinity with the skin have long made squalane a favorite among cosmetics and personal care formulators. Historically, squalane has been sourced from shark liver or from olive oil, raising concerns about its sustainability and availability.

Amyris has developed a unique biotechnology process that enables the reliable and sustainable production of 100% plant-derived pure squalane. This high performance, renewable emollient is derived from simple sugars, like those found in sugarcane, and can be produced at a scale capable of meeting the world's demand.

Amyris Squalane is highly moisturizing and fast absorbing while providing a silky, smooth and luxurious touch. Ideal for elegant face products and emulsions, as well as body lotions and moisturizers, Amyris Squalane can leave the skin feeling soft and smooth without a greasy, heavy after-feel. Amyris's manufacturing process provides consistent product quality, yielding a colorless and odorless squalane.

Amyris Squalane is distributed in North America by CenterChem and in Japan by Nikko.

About Amyris

Amyris is an integrated renewable products company focused on providing sustainable alternatives to a broad range of petroleum-sourced products. Amyris uses its industrial synthetic biology platform to convert plant sugars into a variety of hydrocarbon molecules—flexible building blocks that can be used in a wide range of products. Amyris's initial portfolio of commercial products is based on Biofene, Amyris's brand of renewable farnesene, a long-chain hydrocarbon. Amyris is commercializing these products both as No Compromise® renewable ingredients in cosmetics, flavors and fragrances, polymers, lubricants and consumer products, and also as No Compromise renewable diesel and jet fuel. Amyris Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Amyris, oversees the establishment and expansion of Amyris's production in Brazil. More information about Amyris is available at www.amyris.com.

About Laserson.

Laserson is a leading supplier of fine ingredients and services for the health and beauty industries. Expert in distribution and marketing of product lines requiring a high technological support, Laserson's keywords are long-term vision and partnership, transparency and confidence. More information about Laserson is available at www.laserson.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements, and any statements other than statements of historical facts could be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding future events (such as growing the market for squalane, the ability of Amyris Squalane to meet consumer demand, large-scale production of Amyris Squalane, and expected characteristics of consumer products made with Amyris Squalane) that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on management's current expectations and actual results and future events may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties, including those associated with any delays or failures in development, production or commercialization of products, liquidity and ability to fund capital expenditures, Amyris's reliance on third parties to achieve its goals, and other risks detailed in the "Risk Factors" section of Amyris's quarterly report on Form 10-K filed on March 28, 2013. Amyris disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 

Amyris, Biofene and No Compromise are trademarks or registered trademarks of Amyris, Inc. This press release also contains trademarks of other businesses that are the property of their respective owners.