Shares in OptiBiotix Health PLC rose 25% to 8.0p after the company announced over £800,000 in confirmed orders for 2026, marking a record early start to the financial year.
The AIM-listed life sciences firm, which develops ingredients aimed at reducing hunger and supporting gut health, said it had received four orders totalling 24 metric tonnes of its SlimBiome product from Meelung Trading in Taiwan. These will be delivered quarterly throughout 2026.
Meelung, a leading nutritional supplement distributor in Taiwan, signed an agreement with OptiBiotix in June 2025 and has since placed increasingly large recurring orders.
The AIM-listed company said early orders from Meelung and three other partners, including a weight management brand, allow it to consolidate supply, negotiate better pricing, and maintain or improve margins.
Chief executive Stephen O’Hara said: “To have already secured orders totalling over £800k before the end of our first month of the year puts us in a strong position for the year ahead.”
SlimBiome is seen as well positioned to benefit from growing demand for natural appetite-control solutions, an emerging market seen as a potential alternative to anti-obesity drugs.