@Halal July/August 2022 | Page 13

July-August . 2022 | @ Halal

13 erative therapies .

The Halal Committee , established in 2018 , provides stewardship to the company ’ s Halal Pharmaceutical Agenda ( HPA ). It also comprises initiatives throughout the company ’ s business value chain ranging from thought leadership , strengthening resources and capabilities , leading halal certification , R & D , and expanding market segment .

It ’ s duty includes providing an independent review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Group ’ s halal initiatives and recommending the relevant interventions that enable the Group to strengthen its position as the halal pharmaceutical industry ’ s thought and market leader .

It continues strengthening its halal pharmaceutical thought leadership by participating in key platforms .

In 2021 , Duopharma Biotech was involved in two separate sessions at the World Halal Business Conference ( WHBC 2021 ) Webinar hosted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry ( MITI ) and organised by HDC .

The company is dedicated to growing its presence in the halal pharmaceutical space in Malaysia and worldwide . It remains committed to leading the way for the halal pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia , regionally and globally .

It actively participates in various committees and task forces to develop sound halal governance and economy .

It collaborates closely with several halal regulatory organisations such as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM ), HDC , and the Department of Standards Malaysia . It was also part of the Technical Committee that developed the world ’ s first halal standard , MS 2424 Halal Pharmaceuticals – General requirements ( First revision ).

Achievements and wide recognition

The company ’ s active involvement and achievements in halal and sustainable pharmaceuticals are widely recognised in the industry .

Duopharma Biotech has earned several awards over the years for its halal pharmaceutical initiatives and development , including ;

• Halal Journal Award for Best Corporate Responsibility at the World Halal Forum ( 2009 );

• Malaysia Excellence Award for Best Halal Product at International Tourism and Halal Week 2009 ;

• Halal Recognition Award at the World Halal Research Summit 2011 ;

• Halal Excellence Award at the World Halal

Conference 2015 ;

• Global Islamic Economy Award under Food & Health Category at Global Islamic Economy Summit 2015 ;

• Halal Healthcare Excellence Award at the World Halal Excellence Award 2021 ; and

• Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards Halal Pharmaceutical Company of the Year ( 2017 , 2018 and 2019 ). The company has also been recognised for its sustainability commitment and practices . It was selected overall winner at the Sustainable Business Awards Malaysia ( SBA ) 2020 / 21 under the Large Organisation Category , identifying it as Malaysia ’ s leading organisation for sustainability practices .

Duopharma Biotech took home five trophies in the categories of “ Business Ethics & Responsibility ”, “ Stakeholder Management ”, and “ UN Sustainable Development Goals ”, as well as receiving the Significant Achievement award in the “ Water Management ” and “ Waste Productivity & Materiality ” categories .

The company ’ s shares have an added attraction among investors as they have been listed on Bursa Malaysia ’ s FTSE4GOOD Index since June 2020 and awarded the Prime Minister ’ s Hibiscus Award for Notable Achievement in its environmental performance .

As halal is a philosophy value of integrity and sustainability , Duopharma Biotech Bhd ’ s halal policy is not limited to just product manufacturing . It extends to instilling sustainability values across the business operations with the company ’ s Environmental , Social and Governance ( ESG ) strategies .

Duopharma Biotech officially commenced its ESG journey in 2016 and has aligned its environmental pledges within its ESG Roadmap with the government ’ s environmental targets and the United Nations Sustainable Goals .

The company has established structures and systems to create a high level of awareness among all personnel and to closely align its business strategies with its ESG strategies and goals .

It ’ s board of directors leads sustainability initiatives , guided by the Risk Management and Sustainability Committee . The Sustainability Department is led by health and safety experts and a sustainability specialist who reports to the Chief Manufacturing Officer .

Duopharma Biotech ’ s ESG focus areas are distributed across the three pillars of Environment , Social and Governance ; Climate Performance , Sustainable Supply Chain , Access to Medicine , Diversity & Inclusion and Governance .

The company aims to reduce emissions and environmental impact and improve the sustainability of the manufacturing process and materials . Duopharma has maintained and improved its ability to provide consumers and patients with access to medicines and therapies .

At the same time , it has strengthened team diversity to promote more inclusive perspectives and a refined management system and corporate culture .

For the environment pillar within the ESG strategy , the company targets Climate Performance as a key focus area , aiming to reduce and minimise activities contributing to an adverse climate impact .

Duopharma Biotech aspires to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2030 , Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 and replace 50 per cent of single use plastics with biodegradable plastics within its operations by 2026 with an emphasis on new technology and digitalisation to reduce emissions more efficiently .

It also recently signed a Collaboration Agreement with a US-based food tech company The Live Green Co , to explore the use of plant ingredients and technology to replace animal , synthetic and ultra-processed ingredients to meet consumer demand for more sustainable wellness foods and pharmaceuticals .

Manufacturing optimisation is part of Duopharma ’ s Biotech ’ s ESG initiative . The decision to replace existing ingredients with plant alternatives is essential in realising its Climate Performance goal of reducing greenhouse gases throughout its supply chain .

The collaboration will involve ; the development of plant-based pharmaceutical products by substituting animal-based or synthetic ingredients ; and speciality product development through R & D collaboration to create a new range of plant-only functional foods catering for the unmet need of patients with special dietary requirements .