Putting nature back into medicine.
Evithé biotechnology is expanding the global medicines toolbox by harnessing millions of years of plant evolution into novel botanical drugs with the intention to cure, mitigate, treat or prevent disease in humans.
The unique biodiversity of the South Pacific provides an outstanding opportunity for high value botanical drug development.
Our surveys identified a significant market pull with 78% of consumers indicating to prefer a botanical drug over a synthetic chemical, and 70% of practitioners are confident in prescribing botanical drugs.
Watch Evithé's founder Cynthia Hunefeld talk about the story behind Evithé.
Watch an in-depth interview with Cynthia's journey in founding Evithé and her mission of commercially developing complex botanicals.
Evithé Biotechnology was founded in 2017. Following an academic journey of 12 years in the field of plant medicine, clinical research and a Masters in Innovation & Commercialisation.
Evithé biotechnology is inspired by the way that plants have evolved over thousands of years and has found a way to harness their actions into novel botanical drugs with the intention to cure, mitigate, treat or prevent disease in humans.
The Botanical Drug Development Project won multiple awards including:
- The AMP Regional Scholarship Award
- The KiwiNet - Momentum Student Entrepreneur Award
- Pre-Seed grants that supported the development of a novel botanical drug
- Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment - Getting Started Grant
- Fiji Trade Commission & Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade collaboration towards Fiji Farmers certification
Auto-Inflammation
Our botanical drug development process is set out to support people with auto-inflammatory diseases. Auto-inflammation is a disease process where the bodies immune system tries to fight an infection, panics and accidentally self-destructs, causing tissue and organ damage.
Auto-inflammation affects 4% of the world population in a variety of degrees of severity from sepsis, to diseases like rheumatoid arthritis to bladder pain, which is known as interstitial cystitis.
The drugs currently used to tackle auto-inflammation are not very effective, and typically tackling just one step in the body’s reaction.
Evithé Biotechnology collaborates with nature
Plants have evolved to produce an array of active constituents to treat diseases by addressing multiple targets at the same time.
Evithé Biotechnology applies nature's evolutionary processes in botanical drug development for better treatment outcomes.
The team
Cynthia Hunefeld
Founder & CEO
Mrs Hunefeld dedicated her life, work and studies in ethnobotany, plant medicine, Post graduate Diploma in clinical research and Masters in Innovation & Commercialisation to the development of botanical medicines.
Dr Andrew Kelly
Executive Chair
Dr Kelly brings his extensive experience in all aspects of the Innovation & Commercialisation through his long and successful career in Australia & New Zealand and his firm BioPacific Partners.
Allan MacDonald
Director
Allan is an experienced director active in international markets for over 30 years. After successful careers with Mobil and Sony, he helped to establish the CSI (food) group of companies within New Zealand.
He has developed an extensive skill set through his involvement in opening and building international markets and scaling companies. With his skill in developing enduring relationships with clients, suppliers and other stakeholders – including overseeing complex contract negotiations and helping to guide innovative and groundbreaking Product development programs, he brings a wealth of experience to the Board to help with Evithé’s rapid growth.
Dr Jane Calvert
Legal Advisor
Registered Trans-Tasman patent attorney with a PhD in Organic Chemistry. Jane has unique knowledge of both biotechnology and botanical drug development as well as the requirements for innovation and commercialisation pathways.
She brings a wealth of practical experience in building a companies intellectual property portfolio from start-up to large corporate from laboratory to public listing.
Lorraine Thomson
Independent Director
A Master of Business Administration from New Zealand’s leading business school at the University of Auckland, Lorraine has a particular focus on innovation and strategic growth. She is an ArcAngel investor and an experienced company director on five boards, including the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute.
She is a former award-winning journalist, editor, publisher and author. Titles she has edited include New Zealand Pharmacy journal and also sub-editor of The National Business Review.
Dr Charlotte Page
Operations Assistant
Charlotte has recently completed a PhD in Chemistry and has a background in drug discovery and development. Charlotte assists with day-to-day operations, contributing her practical knowledge and experience to the role.”
Blake Sullivan-Hill
Immunologist
Blake started his scientific career helping investigate a Kauri Dieback diagnostic method which involved looking for unique fatty acid signatures in soil which may indicate the presence of the pathogen, Phytophthora agathidicida.
In 2021 he switched gears to immunology and began his Masters in Biomedical Sciences, which he finished in March of 2023. Throughout his thesis he screened a collection of natural products for immunomodulatory activity, specifically the ability to alter macrophage phenotype.