Biotech firm SunMax gets EU design exam certificate

SunMax Biotechnology Co chairman David Wang, second left, receives an EU certificate for the company's long-acting collagen injectables from Per Ove Oyberg, the global supervisor of DNV Product Certification in Norway, at an award ceremony in Taipei yesterday. PHOTO: CNA

SunMax Biotechnology Co (雙美生物科技) yesterday received an award from the EU for its collagen products, becoming the world's second company after an Israeli firm to receive the certificate.

The company was awarded the design examination certificate for medical devices, presented by EU representative Per Ove Oyberg in Taipei yesterday.

SunMax expects to secure a 30 percent market share this year in Greater China markets by selling 250,000 syringes for more than NT$5 billion (US$159.3 million), an executive told the ceremony.

"The company expects its market share to grow to 50 percent next year," said SunMax chairman David Wang (王進富), adding that the Tainan-based firm plans an initial public offering in the second half of the year.

"Within the next three to five years, collagens made of cow skin will be entirely replaced by [those made from] pig skin, which is safer and has better quality," he said.

SunMax Biotechnology expects to sell more than 220,000 syringes in China this year and 30,000 in Taiwan.

Sunshine Instrument Ltd (旭昇儀器), SunMax Biotechnology's exclusive distributor in Taiwan, also expressed confidence yesterday in the nation's collagen market this year.

Anna Hsieh (謝桂鈴), president of Taipei-based Sunshine Instrument, said the firm expects the new product to boost Sunshine Instrument's sales this year by 70 percent to 80 percent after securing NT$180 million in sales last year.