Amidst growing concerns of infection by the Wuhan coronavirus, Malaysians queued up today at local pharmacies to stock up on a handheld NatShield(TM) sanitizer containing an active ingredient that has been proven to be effective in combating over 170 deadly pathogens including previously known coronaviruses.
Homegrown healthcare company Holista CollTech (“Holista”) said, since 29 January 2020, it had rushed out the first 5,000 bottles of the initial order of 60,000 bottles of NatShield(TM) to local pharmaceutical chains including Big Pharmacy after stocks ran out earlier in January. The next batch of 15,000 bottles is being despatched to Malaysian pharmacies this week.
The 20-ml sanitizer retails in Malaysian pharmacies for around MYR25.00. Each bottle of NatShield(TM) sanitizer contains 5% of Path-Away(R), a plant-based active ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Authority as well as Malaysia’s Ministry of Health. It is also tested at several World Health Organization laboratories worldwide.
Developed by Global Infections Control Consultants LLC (“GICC LLC”) of South Carolina, U.S.A., Path-Away(R) attacks the cell walls of the microbes, inhibiting their uptake of amino acids needed for reproduction. The microbes then clump together and kill themselves in the process. The alcohol-free Path-Away(R) is not harmful to humans and is currently sent for testing its effectiveness against the Wuhan-originated novel coronavirus.
Kuala Lumpur-based Holista, which is listed in Australia, is the exclusive Path-Away(R) distributor in the ASEAN region. It ships in the active ingredients which are then bottled under strict guidelines at several bottling plants in Malaysia. Holista distributes NatShield(TM) to three chains representing over 3,000 pharmacies across Malaysia.
At a briefing at Big Pharmacy’s outlet in Petaling Jaya, Dr Rajen Manicka, Holista’s CEO, said: “The response has been overwhelming. After stocks ran out on 29th January 2020, we have been working around the clock to fulfill orders in Malaysia. To date, we have received confirmed orders for 42,000 bottles of which 5,000 bottles were sold by the end of last week.”
“To cope with the demand, we intend to raise shipments to Malaysia from the original 60,000 bottles to 145,000 bottles by the end of February and include both 20-ml and 30-ml sizes. We also plan to offer a 60-ml family-sized bottle in the coming weeks. Beyond Malaysia, we have also received many overseas enquiries and we will update on shipment increases in the next few weeks,” he added.
Adding on to this, Lee Meng Chuan, the CEO of Big Pharmacy, said, “We are doing our best to cope with demand across all 71 outlets. The health and well-being of our customers are the priority. We will work closely with Holista in the coming weeks to meet customer orders.”
Holista has agreed to participate in an initiative by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (“MATRADE”), the national trade promotion agency, to support victims of the Wuhan coronavirus. This initiative is known as ‘HELP WUHAN’. Holista has donated RM10,000 as an initial donation and will further donate 2% of its sales revenue of the NatShield (TM) sanitizers.
Dato’ Dr Rajen also announced that Holista will also accelerate the development of a nasal balm, using the Path-Away(R) active ingredient, which can reduce risk of infection. Holista intends to file by March 2020 its own global patent for the nasal balm with a view to offer a consumer product to the international consumer market by Q3 2020.
The ingredients of Path-Away(R) are certified as Generally Regarded As Safe (“GRAS”) and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and exempted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is listed in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and has undergone successful USP-51 testing as a disinfectant.
Path-Away(R) is also approved by the Food and Safety Authority and Environmental Protection Authority of New Zealand. It is approved for use by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health, with special reference to the H1N1 virus.
Holista is licensed to manufacture and distribute NatShield(TM) in Southeast Asia.
About Holista CollTech Ltd
Holista CollTech Ltd (“Holista”) is a research-driven biotech company, the result of a merger between Holista Biotech Sdn Bhd and CollTech Australia Ltd. Headquartered in Perth and with extensive operations in Malaysia, the company is dedicated to delivering first-class natural ingredients and wellness products globally. Holista is a leader in the research of herbs and ingredients for the making of healthier food.
Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”), Holista researches, develops, manufactures and markets “health-style” products to address the unmet and evolving needs of natural medicine. Holista’s suite of ingredients, among other things, includes low-GI baked products, reduced-sodium salts, low-fat fried foods and low calories sugar without compromising taste, odour and mouthfeel. Holista remains the only company to produce sheep (ovine) collagen using patented extraction methods. For more information, please refer to http://www.holistaco.com
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