Oxford Nutrascience signs manufacturing agreement with Surepharm for Chewitab

UK consumer healthcare company Oxford Nutrascience Group PLC (AIM: ONG) announced it has signed a development agreement with Surepharm Services Ltd to scale-up and validate manufacturing processes for its Chewitab delivery systems.

Chewitab is the company's brand name for its chewable tablet for vitamins and medicines. Prototypes produced by Oxford Nutrascience have performed well and under the terms of the agreement Surepharm will be responsible for demonstrating the manufacturing processes as the company moves towards the commercialisation of its Chewitab products, the group said.

Oxford Nutrascience intends to launch Chewitab products including a chewable calcium supplement and a chewable multi-vitamin supplement as well as license the technology to over-the-counter consumer healthcare companies.

Chief executive Nigel Theobald commented "The performance of the Chewitab prototypes in our laboratories has been excellent and prototypes have been well received by a number of major consumer healthcare companies in several markets around the world. Oxford Nutrascience is now ready to move to its next phase and demonstrate that our products can be produced on a mass scale.”

"The signing of this development agreement is an important step towards the use of our technology in making self medication easier. Initial interest is already being shown by a number of the major brand owners in the consumer healthcare pharmaceutical sectors to license our technology," he added.

Oxford Nutrascience develops chewy confectionery, chewable tablets and liquid suspensions to allow medicines and vitamin supplements to be taken in a more pleasant and convenient way.

It has developed technology for the use of prebiotic soluble fibres in medicine delivery systems that disperse and solubilise medicines, improve taste and mouth feel, simplify processing and eliminate additives.

Oxford Nutrascience currently produces Ellactiva, a calcium chewy supplement sold in the UK and in the Middle East, and plans to launch new chews to complement this existing product. The target market for Oxford Nutrasciences' Chewitabs and liquid suspension delivery systems are over-the-counter pain relieving drugs, indigestion preparations and cough and cold medicines.

Medicine development work is currently focused on ibuprofen suspension and chewable allergy tablets incorporating loratadine.

Last month, the company announced the promotion of non-executive chairman Marcelo Bravo to the executive chairman position. Marcelo spent 16 years in R&D with Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE: PG), subsequently spent three years in corporate development with Boots and is also an experienced entrepreneur.

Oxford Nutrascience intends to appoint an additional non-executive director and an announcement will be made as and when appropriate.

CEO Theobald commented In March: “The company is looking to work with a number of the major brand owners in the OTC and prescription pharmaceutical sectors. Marcelo has considerable experience of these companies and we look forward to benefiting from his increased contribution.”