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september-october. 2019 | @Halal
‘sertu’ on the production line without using
actual clay. A discussion between Duopharma
Biotech and Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor
(JAIS) took place, and it was decided that they
had to do a combination of Good Manufactur-
ing Practice (GMP) cleaning, and to use what
was essentially sterilised clay to perform
‘sertu’ on the production line.
“We cleansed the production line with
the sterilised clay, and did another round of
GMP cleaning afterwards to ensure the best
possible hygiene,” Leonard says. The ‘sertu’
method included in the halal pharmaceutical
standard was based on this case study.
An aspiration that gels
According to Leonard, Duopharma Biotech
is currently in collaboration with a Korean
research and development team to develop
a soft gel capsule made out of plants instead
of gelatin. “As of now, our soft gel capsules
are sourced by halal certified suppliers, who
supplies bovine-based gelatin to be made into
said capsules. But if we are able to completely
replace the capsules from an animal-based
source to a plant-based one, it would dismiss
any range of doubt that comes with using
animal-based products.”
HALAL IN HEALTH: Leonard says.
He continues; “JAKIM (Department of
Islamic Development Malaysia) can play a
significant role through good thought lead-
ership, and by expanding the boundaries of
what can be certified as halal.”
To Leonard, halal is more of a lifestyle
rather than an outcome of a product. “You
have to be more holistic when it comes to
halal, because it also incorporates the concept
of Tayyiban. It’s not just about the what but
also about the how.”
“Therefore if you only focus on the out-
come of your product, but fail to recognise
the actual environment the product is being
developed, than you have lost the gist of halal
altogether.”
HALAL TO THE CORE: a manufacturer of products, until we move
away - well, not entirely away, from this space
and look more into R&D. Until such time
arrives however, we will continue to look for
partners with products in need of commer-
cialisation,” says Wan Amir-Jeffrey.
The company is moving beyond where the
country is in terms of halal pharmaceuticals
- and the overall halal ecosystem for that
matter. Wan Amir-Jeffrey says that the aim is
to always look for better solutions to meet the
needs of consumers, and to be halal-certified
to strengthen their position in the global
market.
Halal-certified
pharmaceuticals has
become Duopharma
Biotech’s main
differentiator in the
pharmaceutical industry.
The complete concept of halal
“I have always maintained that the reason
why the halal initiative in Malaysia has
always seen as exemplary by other coun-
tries is because of the thought leadership,”
pharmaceuticals
Selecting the right one Halal as a differentiator
Collaborating with various partners is all well
and good, however the company does not have
endless resources to rely upon. “There are
companies that would be looking for a com-
mercialisation partner, in which they have
developed the technology and product but are
in need of a partner that can manufacture and
possibly, market said product. That is where
we come in.
And then there would also be companies
that would like for us to invest on their R&D
and such. We are open to invest on a product,
as long as it fits into the company’s overall
strategy.”
Duopharma Biotech’s strategy is to look
into niche specialty products for example in
the area of regenerative therapies and new
therapeutic areas that the company believes
fit into what they are currently working on.
Therefore partnerships and collaborations
must be chosen carefully, to ensure that the
product to be manufactured fits into the
company’s strategy. Halal is the one thing Duopharma Biotech has
that separates it from other pharmaceutical
manufacturers. It is what makes the company
unique and a step ahead of the industry where
halal pharmaceutical is concerned.
As coined by Wan Amir-Jeffrey, “Halal is
the differentiator we hold as a company. We
are differentiating ourselves by becoming the
company of choice in terms of providing halal
solutions to pharmaceutical products. We
have positioned ourselves as the key industry
halal champions in Malaysia.”
Duopharma Biotech has established itself
to be pioneers for a lot of things. They were
the first company to provide over-the-counter
products with halal certification through the
food and beverage standards, and also the first
to provide halal prescription drugs as well.
“We have been talking about being the
first for a while, now it really is the matter
of how we move forward from there,” Wan
Amir-Jeffrey expresses.
“Duopharma Biotech is and always will be
Duopharma Biotech is
the pioneer in providing
halal solutions for
pharmaceuticals, and
Wan Amir-Jeffery says
that they aspire to offer
more in the future.