News Release 21 November 2002
BLIS TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF SECOND PRODUCT
Listed biotechnology company BLIS Technologies announced today it plans to launch a second new product in early 2003 in
collaboration with international food ingredient giant DANISCO.
The new product, BLIS Bio Restore, works by restoring beneficial oral and intestinal bacteria following a course of
antibiotics. BLIS Technologies chief executive Kelvin Moffatt said when antibiotics are prescribed, undesirable bugs, as
well as good bacteria necessary for everyday well being, are killed.
“When beneficial bacteria is depleted following a course of antibiotics, people are prone to antibiotic side effects.
Using BLIS Bio Restore can help maintain health after antibiotic use by restoring beneficial bacteria and helping
support the body’s natural defences against the overgrowth of undesirable micro-organisms.
Mr Moffatt said DANISCO’s involvement was a significant development for the company.
A Copenhagen publicly listed company, DANISCO, posted annual revenues in excess of $US1.6 billion ($NZ3.2 billion) last
year and is the world’s largest supplier of food ingredients to dairy and other industries.
“As well as collaborating with BLIS Bio Restore, DANISCO will assist in facilitating registration of the BLIS K12 Throat
Guard product in Germany,” Mr Moffatt said.
The market debut of BLIS Bio Restore in early 2003 follows the successful launch of BLIS K12 Throat Guard in May 2002,
and is driven by market demand.
“There’s been growing demand from pharmacists for a quality product for intestinal health that complements the oral
beneficial bacteria in BLIS K12 Throat Guard. The British Medical Journal published a meta analysis report last June on
the benefits of intestinal probiotics following antibiotic use, and this raised further interest within the healthcare
profession.”
Mr Moffatt said that each year 2.9 million people were prescribed antibiotics in New Zealand. This is an indicator of
the potential market in this country for BLIS Technologies’ K12 Throat Guard and Bio Restore products. Antibiotic use
worldwide is comparable to that in this country. The association between BLIS Technologies and partners such as DANISCO
means the company is well positioned to capitalise on the post-antibiotic market internationally.
BLIS Bio Restore is a high dose, three day course containing both the K12 beneficial oral bacteria and strains of
beneficial intestinal bacteria including the HOWARU ™ RHAMNOSUS AND HOWARU ™ BIFIDO strains licensed from DANISCO. BLIS
Bio Restore will be sold as a package with the K12 Throat Guard in pharmacies, in sachets and lozenges respectively.
The new HOWARU ™ strains are amongst the most thoroughly researched strains worldwide, both in terms of safety and in
delivering health benefits, with much of that research having been carried out in New Zealand.
In 2001, DANISCO obtained the licences for production and marketing of two probiotic strains which had been developed
by Fonterra Research Centre and NZMP. Danisco is now marketing these strains under their own HOWARU ™ brand.
“We welcome the association with BLIS Technologies that has enabled us to bring high dose formats of these strains to
market in New Zealand together with the K12 Throat Guard product,” said Danny O’Regan, Director of Danisco’s global
culture and media business.
Probiotics products, such as BLIS Bio Restore and K12 Throat Guard, are based on well researched beneficial protective
bacteria and offer the opportunity for profound changes in the way we manage the health of human beings, now and in the
future, Mr Moffatt said.
BLIS plans to continue to develop smart health products and bring them to market.
“Our next product in the research pipeline is aimed at preventing tooth decay. We have a provisional patent on
beneficial strains of bacteria that help protect against tooth decay, and intend to complete clinical trails and have
product available within the next year.”
Other products waiting in the wings for development include application for the preventing and treatment of ear
infections, bovine mastitis, acne and skin infections, similarly using BLIS producing beneficial bacteria to help
prevent acquisition of undesirable bacteria.
ENDS
ABOUT BLIS TECHNOLOGIES
BLIS Technologies was formed in June 2000 to pursue the commercialisation of BLIS (bacteriocin-like inhibitory
substances). In an unusual move for a new company, BLIS Technologies was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange less
than a year after it was set up. This encouraged sound investment and the company raised enough funding to support its
research and development programme for four years. The company has its own research laboratory based at Otago
University’s Centre for Innovation. The research team comprises among others: the University of Otago Professor of
Microbiology, Professor John Tagg; BLIS Technologies’ Director of Science, Dr Chris Chilcott; and Dr Cheung-Tak Hung
from Zenith Technology Corporation Limited.
Issued on behalf of BLIS Technologies by Sorensen Group.