Skip Navigation Links
Home
IntroductionExpand Introduction
ManufacturingExpand Manufacturing
ResearchExpand Research
ContractsExpand Contracts
Associated CompaniesExpand Associated Companies
Membership & Collaborations
Contact Us

You are here: Skip Navigation LinksHome : Associated Companies : van Brummelen Consultants


VAN BRUMMELEN CONSULTANTS (vBC)

vBC Logo Van Brummelen Consultants
429 Dekgras Rd, Silvertondale, Pretoria, SA
PO Box 23535, Gezina, 0031, South Africa
Tel: +27 12 8048068 Fax: +27 12 8048069
E-Mail: roy@biomox.com

MISSION STATEMENT
To establish an international research and consulting company to develop, formulate and commercialise complementary medicine.

  1. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

  2. Research universities in South Africa produce a number of excellent publications on the qualities of medicinal plants and nutritional supplements each year. However, very few of these academic institutions have the knowledge or experience to translate these results into viable products to be commercialised and marketed. More often than not, research is only taken to a level below what is required for commercialisation, and when no interest can be raised in industry, these results are published and lose the potential of being patented.

    Industry and large multinational companies seldom invest in primary research on complementary medicine and rather focus on the allopathic field, where the discovery of new chemical entities can be protected by international patents.

    A gap exists to:
    • identify research projects before they are published;
    • applying intellectual asset management principles to protect the knowledge;
    • obtain funding and do product development;
    • formulate and package the technology for licensing to industry.
    Both University, as well as industry would benefit from the filling of such a gap. Universities would be able to show the benefit they create in the community, and industry obtains access to new low risk high reward products.

  3. STRATEGIC STATEMENT

  4. vBC has set as its goal to bridge the gap between primary research done by academic institutions and the commercial requirements of large industry involved in the marketing and distribution of final products in respect of complementary medicine.

  5. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

  6. vBC is a company solely owned by Dr Roy van Brummelen. He studied pharmacy at the University of Pretoria, obtaining the degree BPharm in 1987. In 1990 he completed the degree MSc (Chemical Pathology), at the same university, and in 1993 the degree PhD (Medical Science), describing a new biochemical cycle. In 2003, he was appointed as Extraordinary Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Tshwane University of Technology – currently the largest residential university in South Africa. Dr van Brummelen completed his second doctorate (D Tech: Biomedical Sciences) in 2006. See his CV for more information.

    vBC acts as a facilitating body between a consortium of related companies in which Dr van Brummelen plays an active role as shareholder and/or director. vBC also makes extensive use of specialist consultants.

    South Africa, with its large natural biodiversity, has seen a number of attempts at bio-prospecting for medicinal compounds. International pharma have screened upwards of 10 000 natural plants with limited success, mostly due to secrecy by practitioners, but also due to the lack of proper historical and scientific data.

    vBC's unique positioning between the research institutions and industry, with strong links to both, creates an opportunity of finding synergy, but more importantly providing credibility to both parties. One of the key aspects in “crossing the chasm” from research, to sold products lies in the ability of the buyers (pharma), to trust the sellers (researchers), and for the sellers to understand real need of the buyers. By interfacing and providing fast tracking development support, as well as funding, a multitude of projects from Universities can be identified and aligned with market (and pharma) needs. This equates to a value chain where each of the parties play their specialised role to create the final product; University as researcher, vBC as developer and productiser, pharma as brand owner and seller, and the consumer as final buyer.

    Many additional benefits arise from building a platform in South Africa for the identification and development of new herbal medicines. South Africa is in many ways the gateway to Africa with its vast unexplored biodiversities. vBC can successfully act as a facilitating body between a consortium of related companies, appointed specialists, pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions. vBC has interests in three companies with excellent skills in the development of natural herbal medicines.

  7. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

    • vBC assists with literature searches, patent searches and the gathering of scientific information in the fields of interest for pharmaceutical companies in order to evaluate the potential of development in a certain area.
    • vBC assists with the research and development of new products, also vitamin, mineral and amino acid combinations that address specific problems in the body on enzymatic level by supplying the necessary biochemical substrates and co-factors to alleviate these problems. This is done not only in respect of the actives and co-factors required to achieve a specific indication, but also the non-actives to produce a successful product.
    • vBC assists in identifying the best sources of active and non-active raw materials required for the production of trial and validation batches, as well as for the expansion to production-sized batches. The company also assists in securing the best manufacturer of the necessary actives or extracts and/or final products.
    • vBC also assists with the compiling of clinical trials protocols and the facilitation of research projects and smaller clinical trials, e.g. marketing trials.
    • Due to its connections, not only with academic institutions, but also with different complementary medicine companies, vBC, through Dr van Brummelen, has acquired a wealth of contacts who are knowledgeable in the field of complementary medicine and experts in the field of herbal extracts. Together, they and Dr van Brummelen, with his expertise and years of experience, make a formidable team.
    • Dr van Brummelen is a member of the Association for African Medicinal Plant Standards (AAMPS), an association that reviews the problems and prospects of developing internationally acceptable standards for the most important African medicinal plants, and the preparation of African quality assurance and trading standards in this field (www.aamps.net).
    • vBC has access to most of the new research developments in the field relating to African medicinal herbal extracts. It acts as a contact between companies and research facilities to assist with the screening of project proposals for potential products, and thus serves as the link between these institutions and multinational companies looking for products to commercialise and market.
    • vBC would build an intellectual property docket of the project, ensuring all agreements with third parties are in place to ensure confidentiality, and protection is guaranteed. Including quality assurance and USPTO compliant research note keeping. This significantly reduces due diligence procedures.
    • vBC can play the role of taking research projects, where required, to the next phase or level of development. This will be done by contracting some of the aspects required out to specialised units in this field in order to take selected products to a level of readiness for commercialisation.

    vBC can be contracted to assist companies with the:
    • investigation
    • research & development
    • formulation
    • manufacturing
    • of new actives or final products in the field of complementary medicine. This will allow the companies to focus on their core business namely marketing and distribution.





Home | Contact Us
Copyright © 2006-2008 Biomox.com  -  All rights reserved
Last updated: 26 October 2008
Riptide Technology Powered by
Riptide Technology: