TOKYO— Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Co., announced it will establish a new facility to manufacture human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in Thailand.

The facility will be established at Kyowa Hakko Bio’s subsidiary Thai Kyowa Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. in Rayong Province, Thailand. Operations are expected to begin in the summer of 2022.

The company will supply HMOs to other companies and for the Kirin Group’s product development. Kyowa Hakko Bio already has established manufacturing processes for three of its HMOs (2FL, 3SL and 6SL). The new facility will mark the first time they will be produced on an industrial scale.

HMOs are found in human breast milk and have been shown to promote brain development in newborns, support the immune system, increase resistance to infection, reduce inflammation and have a positive impact on digestive health.