Here's the article, take a read.... Imuniti seeks trials for new line Consumer Industries Correspondent LISTED pharmaceutical products manufacturer Imuniti had asked the Medical Research Council (MRC) for approval to start trials on its latest product, the company said yesterday. CEO Paul Fouche said the addition of the product to its line should boost revenue, which the company expected to be just more than R100m for the year to end February 2008. This excluded sales from what would become its flagship product, the Imuniti Pack, a package of nutritional additives. Fouche said the idea was to package pharmaceutical products, natural medicines and water purification drops in a single package that was affordable for malnourished people in SA and on the continent. The company aims to start selling products locally and then look at exporting into Africa. Imuniti, which is 37% owned by broad-based black economic empowerment shareholders, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and complimentary natural medicines at two factories in KwaZulu-Natal. It aims to provide an affordable range of fortified and natural products to address malnutrition, immune deficiency and water contamination problems. The company, which listed in December last year, raised R83m in a private placement. "This is a blue-sky project. The main reason we listed was to develop the pack and to own the two factories in order to make it affordable." Fouche said the company would be able to start field trials soon after its application had been approved. The council would conduct an inspection of Imuniti factories next Thursday, the company said. One of its factories, Nutritional Foods, manufactures powdered food nutrition to for the low end of the market, while the other, Impilo, manufactures natural medicines. While MRC approval is not necessary for natural products, Fouche said the company felt this would add credibility to its products. At the trial stage, the products would be tested for toxicity, efficacy and safety. Posted on 27 Jun 2007 by webmaster