Strategic Development and Commercial Alliance

RNS Number : 5631P

Venture Life Group PLC

09 June 2015

 



Venture Life Group plc

("Venture Life" or "the Group")

Venture Life Group plc and OptiBiotix Health plc to enter a

Strategic Development and Commercial Alliance

9 June 2015: Venture Life (AIM: VLG), the international consumer products group addressing the self-care needs of the ageing population, announces that it has signed a letter of intent to enter a Strategic Development and Commercial Alliance ("the Alliance") with OptiBiotix Health plc ("OptiBiotix") (AIM: OPTI), a life sciencesbusiness developing compounds to tackle obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes.

The Alliance brings together Venture Life's formulation, manufacturing and international distribution capabilities and OptiBiotix's research and development expertise in developing microbiome modulators to improve health. The Alliance will cover the following key activities:

·     The development by Venture Life of products from existing OptiBiotix intellectual property (microbiome actives or ingredients) in the form of registered food supplements or other over-the-counter ("OTC") products;

·     The development by OptiBiotix of new microbiome actives specific to disease areas agreed between the two parties, which would then be developed by Venture Life into products in the form of registered food supplements or other OTC products; and

·     The marketing and commercialisation of the developed products by Venture Life through its network of international distribution partners.

The two parties will enter a definitive legal agreement which sets out the commercial and financial terms of the Alliance. More information about the specific products will be provided in due course, but it is expected that the first products from the Alliance will be available to be marketed to distribution partners in 2016, subject to achieving timely product registration. 

Jerry Randall, Chief Executive Officer of Venture Life, said: "OptiBiotix operates in a very exciting and progressive area that has the potential to bring real health benefits. It has exciting product research programmes which we believe can be commercialised successfully through Venture Life's manufacturing, registration and international distribution capability.

"This is a strongly symbiotic relationship, with complementary expertise and resources that will enable these cutting edge products to be brought to the global market through the pharmacy channel. We are very excited by this development, and look forward to developing this relationship and to harnessing our complementary strengths across a wide spectrum of market leading products."

Stephen O'Hara, Chief Executive Officer of OptiBiotix, said: "We are pleased to announce this Alliance with Venture Life and see a strong rationale for the businesses to work together based on the complementary nature of the infrastructure and the commonality of our target markets.

Recent advances in OptiBiotix's technology platforms have broadened the range of product opportunities. We believe Venture Life's capabilities in formulating, manufacturing and distributing OTC products through its network of international distributors creates potential to bring new products to new markets earlier than anticipated. We are delighted to be working with Venture Life to exploit the potential of OptiBiotix's technology platforms to develop food supplements and OTC products."

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

Venture Life Group PLC
Jerry Randall, Chief Executive Officer
James Hunter, Chief Financial Officer	[phone]
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited
Freddy Crossley / Duncan Monteith	[phone]
Corporate Finance
Tom Salvesen
Corporate Broking
Square1 Consulting
David Bick / Mark Longson	[phone]

Notes to editors

About Venture Life - www.venture-life.com

Venture Life is an international consumer self-care company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing products for the ageing population. The Group's product range and pipeline currently include food supplements for lowering cholesterol and maintaining brain function, dermo-cosmetics for addressing the signs of ageing, and medical devices for improving minor aches and pains, dry eyes and itchy skin. The products, which typically are recommended by pharmacists or healthcare practitioners, are available primarily through pharmacies supplied by the Group's international distribution partners.

Through its manufacturing company, Biokosmes, the Group also provides development and manufacturing services to companies in the medical device and cosmetic sectors.

The Group's own branded products are currently sold or partnered in over 40 countries and currently include:

·     food supplements to maintain brain function and memory;

·     dermo-cosmetics for addressing the signs of skin ageing and hair loss, and

·     medical devices for improving conditions such as minor aches and pains, dry eyes and itchy skin.

The Company has a healthy development pipeline including products in areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular health, obesity, cognitive function and skin ageing. Products coming from the pipeline will be expected to have intellectual property protection and be supported by independent clinical evidence of efficacy.

About OptiBiotix Health PLC- www.optibiotix.com 

OptiBiotix was formed in March 2012 to develop compounds which modify the human microbiome - the collective genome of the microbes in the body - to prevent and manage human disease. 

The aim of OptiBiotix is to discover and develop microbial strains, compounds and formulations, which modulate the human microbiome and can be used as food ingredients and supplements or active compounds for the prevention and management of human metabolic diseases, examples of which include obesity, cholesterol and lipid distribution and diabetes. 

OptiBiotix has established a pipeline of microbiome modulators that can impact on lipid and cholesterol management, energy harvest and appetite suppression. The development pipeline is fuelled by its proprietary OptiScreen® and OptiBiotic® platform technologies designed to identify metabolic pathways and compounds that impact on human physiology and bring potential health benefits. These platforms are applicable across a wider range of other human diseases.

 

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