Antah Healthcare Group (AHG) is seeking to do more business overseas, venturing into emerging markets such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
The company is also looking to penetrate the healthcare market in Indonesia, said AHG chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director Tunku Mohamed Alauddin Tunku Naquiyuddin.
“We were stagnating for a few years and that led me to think of ways to bring in new businesses. Malaysia is quite a small market and in order to expand, we need to go international.
“We are a 57-year-old company which has always been doing business in Malaysia. Antah is well known here but not outside of Malaysia. We have a business plan for growth, to become a global company.”
AHG has two main entities — Antah Pharma and Antah Sri Radin.
Antah Pharma specialises in pharmaceutical and lifestyle products. Major clients include government hospitals, pharmacies, general practitioners and specialist centres.
Antah Sri Radin supplies operating theatre (OT) lights, OT equipment and sterilisation equipment for infection control.
The company represents overseas principals to market and distribute the products here.
One of the products which AHG aims to bring into emerging markets in Asean is Bio-D for dengue control and protection.
AHG started biotech company EntoGenex Industries Sdn Bhd to develop products that fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
EntoGenex, led by Tunku Khairul Zaim Tunku Naquiyuddin, received a grant from the government to commercialise the product in Malaysia.
“The science consists of modifying a molecule in the female mosquito cell to alter its digestive system so that the larvae, upon consuming the peptide, would die from metabolic starvation,” said Khairul.
EntoGenex has also developed a product containing the molecule to be sprayed onto surfaces like roofs, gutters and trees without polluting the environment.
“As it became more effective, we received another grant from the government to use our product in four states. It was a success as the incidence of dengue reduced by 54.7 per cent,” added Khairul.
Tunku Alauddin said the next move for AHG is to tap private hospitals in Malaysia.
He said AHG is in talks with KPJ Healthcare Group and Sunway Healthcare to supply OT lights, among others, adding that he hoped to sign a contract with KPJ within the next few months
“Healthcare is recession-proof. Everyone needs healthcare and people are always looking for new products, including hospitals, pharmacies, general practitioners and specialist centres. We do travel quite a bit and see how we can get representation for some products in Malaysia. The market is there but it’s just how much it will grow.”
Source: biospectrumasia.com