Alba targets break into troubled Chinese health sector

Published on Friday 28 December 2007 20:36

ALBA Bioscience, still in celebratory mood after achieving a breakthrough to supply a range of key blood testing agents to the US market, is to hold a key meeting early in the new year to tap the potentially lucrative Chinese market.

The Edinburgh-based company is planning a joint venture with a commercial partner, centred around the vast Asian country's national transfusion and blood banking agency at Shanghai.

Ian Buckingham, the firm's marketing director, said follow-up talks with the powerful state food and drug administration will also be staged. The Chinese food and drug regulator holds the power to issue fast-track status to his firm's products.

China is struggling to cope with the illegal trade in blood. The United Nations estimates that, at the end of 2005, there were 55,000 commercial blood and plasma donors infected with HIV in China.

Current numbers are understood to be significantly higher but no official figures are supplied by the Chinese authorities.

Against this uncertain backdrop, Alba Bioscience claims it is in prime position to help China strengthen its total quality management of blood transfusion services and significantly improve blood-product safety.

The firm has an impressive track record to date.

Before winning the US approval, it already supplied 30 countries, including Japan, with more than 200 vital healthcare products to hospitals and blood services clients overseas. Buckingham added: "We're confident of making progress in China.

"It's a huge market and even if you win 0.1 per cent of overall potential business, this still represents hugely significant revenues."

New business means Alba's 60-strong skilled scientific and technical team is likely to be significantly added to in the months to come.