Life sciences group OptiBiotix Health plc (LON:OPTI) is taking its heart health products into Asia after signing an exclusive five-year distribution agreement with Trigen Pharma.
The deal will see Trigen – one of Pakistan’s leading healthcare groups – promote, distribute and commercialise Opti’s own-label CholBiome products in the South Asian country.
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In return for the exclusivity, Trigen has agreed to cover all costs for product registration with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
The agreement is the first covering the CholBiome range of products and expands Opti’s sales into Asia – a market with huge potential for the company.
In Pakistan alone, cardiovascular disease is responsible for about one-in-five deaths, and more than a third of over-45s suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure).
CholBiome contains OptiBiotix’s LPLDL strain and has been shown to reduce both cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
The AIM-quoted firm said products are difficult to estimate in new markets, but it expects them to be in the low-to-mid six-figures in the near term as Trigen builds market presence.
Strategic step to access Asian market
“We are pleased to announce this agreement with Trigen which expands sales of LPLDL into Pakistan, where high blood pressure and high cholesterol are significant causes of morbidity and mortality,” said chief executive Stephen O’Hara.
“We chose Trigen due to its leading position in Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry, specialism in cardiovascular health, and track record of growing product sales.
“This agreement is a strategic step to access the Asian probiotic market and extend the distribution of OptiBiotix's own label LPLDL formulations like CholBiome into international markets.”