New role for varsity man at Botry-Zen

By Chris Hutching

Friday 22nd February 2002

The man who helped facilitate the formation of listed Blis Technologies has been appointed to another company in the Howard Paterson stable of biotech companies - Botry-Zen.

John Scandrett is leaving his job as commercial development director for the University of Otago where he helped facilitate the commercialisation of Blis Technologies. He will take up a new job as chief executive of Botry-Zen, a company with rights to market an organic control agent against a grape-rotting disease, Botrytis.

Mr Scandrett has worked at Otago for the past 12 years and last year oversaw establishment of a Technology Centre of Innovation, now 80% leased. It was set up to facilitate commercialisation of new research ideas. The university is now seeking a replacement.

It was during the period Blis was being formed that Mr Scandrett met Mr Paterson and his team of professional advisers who have put together the floats of A2 Corporation, Blis, Botry-Zen and Pharma Zen.

Mr Scandrett was approached by Botry-Zen chairman Max Shepherd to take the role of chief executive because of his branding and marketing expertise. (Dr Shepherd is former senior lecturer in biochemistry at Otago and co-founder and chairman of Pharma Zen and a director of Blis.)

Mr Scandrett said his challenge would be to bring the Botry-Zen range of products to the market and develop new opportunities for biological control products.

Blis has appointed Pharmabroker Sales to manage distribution of its new Blis K12 Throat Guard lozenge containing beneficial bacteria called Streptococcus salivarius, expected to be available in shops by winter. The name Blis means "bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances." The company has acquired rights to a range of Blis producing organisms and intends developing new anti-bacterial products including dental caries control, the prevention and treatment of ear infections, bovine mastitis and skin infections. Blis listed on the Stock Exchange last July initially trading at $1.75 before settling back to current levels at around 60c.
Animal remedies company Pharma Zen is buying Christchurch-based biotech products manufacturer Waitaki Biosciences International for $3.4 million from Wellington-based Greenstone Fund. Pharma Zen chairman Max Shepherd said the $3.4 million acquisition would expand production marketing. Waitaki Biosciences International develops and manufactures biologically derived nutritional and natural medicinal dietary supplements.

Waitaki achieved March 31, 2001 revenues of $4.4 million and is forecasting a turnover of $4.9 million and ebit of $750,000. Pharma Zen products will be manufactured at the Waitaki factory in Christchurch and the Waitaki sales team will add them to their range. Waitaki was formed in the 1970s and was bought out by management in 1994, assisted by the Greenstone Fund.

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