Perth biotech laboratory company Epichem has been certified ISO 9001:2015 compliant in a move that its parent company, ASX listed company PharmAust says will see the organization join an elite group of international biotech businesses that have achieved that accreditation.
In a statement to the market, Perth-based PharmAust said the certification, awarded by accreditation body ECAAS, elevated its wholly owned subsidiary to a select group of companies and proved its products and services were of consistent high quality.
“We are delighted to have been recognised by certification to ISO 9001:2015. It is a reflection of our commitment to quality, continuous improvement and customer focus,” Epichem managing director Wayne Best told the ASX on Friday.
“Many of Epichem’s clients operate in the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector and our certification will be seen as a significant development in our relationship with them.”
ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognised standard based on quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation of top management, the process approach and continual improvement.
Epichem’s certification covers its synthesis and distribution of fine chemicals, reference standards, technical services and contract research and consulting, PharmAust said.
Epichem, which provides hi-tech products and services in chemistry to global drug discovery and pharmaceutical industries, has some of the world’s biggest multinational pharmaceutical companies on its books.
The company also has an impressive record that includes exporting medical products and services to more than 33 nations and earlier this year the company opened a $1.6m state-of-the-art chemistry lab in Perth.
The upbeat announcement from PharmAust comes after news this week that the company will start two more trials of its promising canine anti-cancer drug MPL, with 2,000 newly formulated capsules being shipped to testing centres in NSW and Queensland.
PharmAust is positioning itself to enter the global human and canine cancer therapy markets, especially in the U.S where there are nearly 80 million pet dogs and a course of chemotherapy currently costs between $3,000 and $5,000.
Last month, the company’s fortunes were buoyed when veterinary oncologist Dr Angela Frimberger signed on to continue evaluation of MPL in dogs that have failed to respond to more conventional cancer care.
PharmAust was also recently successful in tweaking the taste of MPL to make it more palatable following tests carried out at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
By Matt Birney
