Avacta Analytical signs distribution agreement with DKSH Japan
11 April 2011
Avacta Group plc has signed an exclusive agreement for the
distribution of Optim, its low volume protein analysis system, with DKSH
Japan.
Avacta has already received its first order for an Optim unit
which will be shipped to DKSH this month.
DKSH is a £5.8bn turnover group specialising in Asian markets
business development. It has nearly 50 years experience in
supporting the Japanese pharmaceutical industry through its
dedicated Business Unit Technology which has a specialised sales
team of seven. It has strong contacts within the rapidly growing
biopharmaceutical industry and with the large and expanding life
sciences research base in Japan.
Optim, which comprises a benchtop instrument and disposable
sample holders, accelerates the speed, reduces the cost, and reduces
the risk of failure, early on in the biopharmaceutical development
process.
At the critical stages of pre-formulation, stability testing and
formulation of biopharmaceutical drugs the Optim system provides
analysis of compounds to identify viable drug candidates and to
define the optimal processing conditions.
Optim not only delivers information tens of times faster than
existing techniques, using less than a hundredth of the sample size,
the quality of the data gives drug developers a greater insight into
candidate drugs much earlier in their development.
This quantum leap in efficiency leads to a significant reduction
in the likelihood of failure of drug compounds and reduces the
overall costs of bringing new drugs to market.
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive of Avacta Group commented: "We
are delighted to have signed this exclusive Japanese distribution
agreement with such a strong partner as DKSH. It has in-depth
understanding of the Asian market as well as an excellent team of
sales, applications and support staff. The team has many years
experience in selling and supporting complementary technologies to
Optim into our target customers which is of significant benefit to
Avacta. We are looking forward to working with them to achieve our
market potential in this strategically important territory.”
Yuji Hirohata, Executive Sales Manager of Business Line Research
of DKSH Japan said: “Avacta’s Optim system is attracting
considerable attention as a tool that allows drug developers to gain
a greater insight into protein therapeutics formulation at a much
earlier stage of development. We are happy to represent Optim in
Japan and are confident of its great market potential.”
This agreement follows previously announced deals with Pall
Corporation to market Optim in the US, Avacta’s largest market; with
Isogen Life Science to distribute Optim in mainland Europe; and with
Cold Spring Biotech Corp to market Optim in the fast-growing Chinese
and Taiwanese market.