ChargePoint Technology sees surge in China sales

CHARGEPOINT Technology has seen a 150% rise in new equipment sales to Asia, driven by China’s ambitions to become a major player in global pharma.

The Liverpool-based biotech company has enjoyed a huge surge in sales in the first quarter of 2016 – up £300,000 on last year.

It has credited the success of its AseptiSafe and high containment PharmaSafe Pro valves for a 386% (£175,000) increase in sales in China alone.

ChargePoint Technology already supplies precision containment valves to some of the biggest pharmaceutical names across the world for the development of medicines and vaccines from its premises in Speke.

It is the only company which uses a patented hydrogen peroxide decontamination cycle in its valve to destroy contaminants and bacteria.

The AseptiSafe valve creates a sterile area the size of a dinner plate and reduces the need for large scale clean rooms and isolators to keep drug manufacturing areas sterile.

The device also speeds up production, protects operators from hazardous products and keeps raw materials free from bacterial contamination with a unique approach.

By adhering to US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) strict health and safety rules, it is predicted the Chinese will become the main manufacturer of pharmaceuticals sold in the west.

Tony O’Sullivan, global sales and marketing director, said: “China has woken up to the containment market and is now using more valves for transfers of potent materials, rather than just sterile transfers for vaccine manufacturing.

“We’ve been working for many years in Asia educating the region about containment of hazardous ingredients and they have realised its value.

“The growth in Asia could mean that one day the East will match the West, where the US and Europe are currently the biggest single marketplaces for sales our containment transfer devices.”

The company has also opened new sales channels in South America and further parts of Europe and O’Sullivan says it is reaping the rewards from building a network of agents across the world.

“Our profile has been boosted, particularly in the US, by our attendance at Interphex in New York, which is the world’s largest expo for bio-pharma technology,” he said.