PRESS RELEASE
6 December 2006

MBDr Earns BioNexus Status for Future Growth

Malaysian Bio-Diagnostics Research Sdn Bhd (MBDr) was today awarded BioNexus status from the Malaysian government at the opening of BioMalaysia 2006 - the annual international conference and exhibition event for the biotechnology fraternity.

The award from the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi comes in the wake of the country’s mega effort to spearhead biotechnology development in the country.

Three thrusts outlined by the country’s Biotechnology Policy under the Ninth Malaysia Plan are agriculture, healthcare and industry.

MBDr qualifies as a local company dedicated to the manufacturing of medical diagnostics and rapid test kits.

Its core business is to provide bio-diagnostic tools and solutions for healthcare providers that need to accurately assess patients’ diseases at point-of-care.

“Getting the BioNexus status is indeed an added impetus for us as we intend to take the lead in bio-diagnostics. More importantly we need the recognition both locally and internationally to move ahead with our plans,” said Emeri Johari, chief executive officer of MBDr.

“We are pleased that after ten years of hard work and research efforts we have been given this recognition, a criterion that is needed to foster greater support from the local consumer market,” he added.

MBDr – one of seven companies to receive the BioNexus status – is now able to forge ahead with its growth and public listing plans.  BioNexus status is a designation awarded to qualifying biotechnology companies located here.

The benefits derived from this ‘status’ include a ten-year tax-free period and the eligibility to apply for government grants for commercialisation, marketing development and R & D. 

Grants are given to biotechnology companies on a project or product development basis and can assist them to help reduce costs all round.

MBDr has about 250 products on its shelves including some ‘breakthrough’ ones for tropical diseases. It exports 50 percent of these to the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Brunei and the United States, to name a few.

MBDr sales have been on an increasing trend.  As an example, in respect of it’s latest revolutionary product that has recently won the “Anugerah Inovasi Perdana 2006”, TYPHIRAPID, sales of this product alone for the year 2006 have seen an unprecedented increase, more then 1,400 % increase compared to 2005.    

Typhirapid is the latest version from the original product called Typhidot. In total, since the introduction of the original version of MBDR’s typhoid test kits (i.e. the Typhidot) until it’s latest innovation (the Typhirapid), about 2 million users have benefited worldwide.