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- Release Date: 29/10/13 11:42
- Summary: GENERAL: BLT: New Manufacturing Plant Signals Next Stage of Development
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BLT
29/10/2013 09:42
GENERAL
REL: 0942 HRS BLIS Technologies Limited
GENERAL: BLT: New Manufacturing Plant Signals Next Stage of Development
Listed company BLIS Technologies Ltd has opened a new manufacturing plant in
Dunedin New Zealand where product for its nutritional formulation and retail
product business are now being produced. The company is in the process of
getting necessary export approvals before the plant becomes fully
operational.
BLIS is focused on niche human health markets producing probiotics targeted
specifically at oral health. The company has already built a business
supplying ingredients through its global distributor Novus Nutrition Brands
to manufacturers and marketers in North America, Japan, South East Asia,
Taiwan and Europe. Its retail business is now being broadened with oral
probiotic lozenge formulations being marketed in the Asia Pacific region and
in Europe under its own brand, and supplied to other companies for marketing
under their brands.
Chief executive Dr Barry Richardson said the company's strategy over the past
five years has been to work through regulatory processes in key international
markets before moving on with this type of manufacturing consolidation to
give the company more control of its quality and flexibility in responding to
market feedback.
"We have done a lot of work on getting regulatory approval which is now
coming to fruition so the time was right to develop the plant and establish
commercial premises outside of Otago University where the company was formed
as a commercialisation of science from within the university.
"We now have GRAS approval for the US and have approvals for New Zealand and
Australia as well as China."
Richardson said regulatory approval is essential for a food ingredients and
human health business as it determines market access.
"While we would have liked this process to go more quickly, we are beholden
to regulators in other countries therefore we have had to be patient and
methodical in what we have done."
"These are the hard yards and I guess the upside of that, once we have gone
through the final part of this process, any competitors who want to enter
this market will be faced with the same protracted grind. That gives us time
to establish in the market before they could arrive."
He says fortunately the company has a sophisticated shareholder base that
understands what is required in order to get market access. There is also a
growth in shareholders with business connections in China and other key
markets able to assist with business development in these sectors.
"We targeted opening the plant before a reciprocal visit by senior executives
of China's largest pharmacy group next month. We have been working hard on
establishing the right market channel in China and so this visit by Sinopharm
is an important step on the way."
BLIS Technologies focuses on working with benevolent microorganisms found in
the oral cavity to protect against harmful bacteria that enter the mouth,
which is the gateway to the rest of the body. This is particularly important
now that antibiotics have become prevalent as they tend to wipe out good
microorganisms alongside the bad ones they are targeting.
END
For further comment contact:
Barry Richardson 021 664 742
For media assistance contact:
Del Carlini 021 709 907
End CA:00242953 For:BLT Type:GENERAL Time:2013-10-29 09:42:29
