Forum Bioscience: The Forum Group History

Virtually leading the way...

The virtual company is today a well known business model amongst biotechs and in the pharmaceutical industry. In 1981 however, Forum could lay claim to being the UK's first virtual life science company.

In the late seventies, Forum was started as a new type of business dedicated to helping UK life science manufacurers source quality ingredients they needed from major manufacturers worldwide:- a responsive but proactive company that could focus on innovation, supply, custom manufacturing and customer service without amassing high overheads and large plant assets needed in manufacturing operations.

With the support of Cultor Ltd (the Finnsugar Corporation), Forum's founders and initial team (many of whom still guide the Group's operations), Forum was created over 20 years ago. The rationale for this new business remains at the core of the Group's mission today:-

....."to develop niche brands and industrial value-added partnerships by exploiting life sciences through dietary, therapeutic and functional excellence."

In 1991, Cultor's stake in Forum was bought by Ajinomoto Co Inc a major supplier to the Group.

Ajinomoto is a leading international corporation with marketing operations in over 23 countries and one of Japan's biggest food manufacturers, specialising in seasoning, edible oils, and a wide range of processed foods including beverages and dairy products. Ajinomoto has a strong research base, and spends more than US$260 million per annum on research to develop new products and technologies for the Pharmaceutical Food and Feed industries. Ajinomoto's lead in Amino Acids technology has enabled the Forum Group to establish strong Pharmaceutical, Food and Animal Nutrition businesses. Ajinomoto's support of Forum's vision and business strategy continues into this new millennium.

The Forum Group - Value through Synergy

Forum's operations were originally divided into ingredient supply and finished products. The original company structure set up for these purposes exists today:- see structure. However, overriding company delineations has been a culture of synergy flowing through the Group. Using the Forum Group synergy, many of our projects and successes are managed cross-company. Benefits and knowledge from one division help grow the other. Other key elements has been the ability of Forum to create added value from its ingredient base.

Forum Products Limited

The ingredient supply side of the business represents the majority of the Group's turnover though not necessarily the profit. The company offers a wide range of ingredients to three major industry sectors:-

• Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical
• Animal Nutrition and Health
• Food Ingredients

From Forum Products' business activities in these three areas, the company has established many business and industry contacts with a wealth of knowledge. Commercial operations were set up to ensure excellent customer service and the company progressed from attaining BS standards, to ISO 9002, and now holds ISO 9001. The consultancy side of the business evolved as ingredient customers started asking for advice and assistance with life cycle management and development projects. Forum Products has now developed this added-value service for the benefit of its customers. The consultancy element has helped integrate Forum's operations more closely with the finished product businesses of the Britannia companies.

The Britannia companies

From the Group's original ingredient franchise the opportunity to develop added value products was concluded by licencing in Eldepryl (selegiline hydrochloride) for Parkinson's Disease and Efamol (evening primrose oil) as a health food supplement. The Britannia companies were formed to develop and market these and other finished products, further extending the scope of the Group's operations:- Britannia Pharmaceuticals as a niche market pharmaceutical company and Britannia Health specialising in nutraceutical and functional foods.

Britannia Pharmaceuticals Limited www.britannia-pharm.co.uk

Founded in 1981, Britannia Pharmaceuticals Limited is a United Kingdom based pharmaceutical firm whose mission is to become a leading supplier of innovative products for niche medical conditions. The company identifies new therapeutic uses for existing medicinal products and then delivers them to the patient.

Using this approach, Britannia has developed new treatments for some of the worlds' most debilitating conditions including asthma, Parkinson's disease, drug addiction, erectile dysfunction, female sexual dysfunction and surgical adhesions. In addition to these treatments, Britannia has also developed nasal respiratory drug delivery technologies that are applicable to a range of treatments.

Britannia's management team is comprised of professionals who have extensive experience in the pharmaceuticals industry and drug development. In addition, Britannia's staff maintains close ties with key physicians throughout the search and development process of each Britannia product.

Britannia's product portfolio and area of expertise include:

Nasal and respiratory powder drug delivery: Britannia has developed particular proprietary expertise in nasal and respiratory drug delivery. These methods of drug delivery are applicable to a range of treatments, allow for quick medication absorption and provide patients an alternative to injectable treatments. This technology provides non-invasive, fast-acting treatment for a variety of conditions, including Parkinson's disease, asthma and erectile dysfunction.

Apomorphine: Britannia has developed an apomorphine therapy for patients with late stage Parkinson's disease, marketed as Apo-go® in the UK and certain EU countries. The drug, which is currently available in an injectable form in the UK, provides a quick reversal for patients suffering the immobility associated with an "off" period. Britannia has a licensing agreement with Bertek Pharmaceuticals Inc., the branded products subsidiary of Mylan Laboratories Inc., to bring the drug to market in the United States in the near future. Also in development is a nasal product for both Parkinson's disease, erectile dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction. Britannia has a granted US patent for its nasal powder combining fast action, efficacy and ease of use. This new nasal approach is extremely promising for sufferers of male erectile dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction. Initial Phase II results have confirmed the fast onset of action when compared to subcutaneous apomorphine and lack of irritancy after chronic administration.

Pumactant: Pumactant is a highly promising therapy being tested for its efficacy as a novel treatment for surgical adhesions and asthma. Patients treated with Pumactant (known as Adsurf®) at the time of surgery will have a much lower incidence of surgical adhesions. Asthma patients who inhaled Pumactant were able to totally abolish the early response when exposed to allergen provocation. The essence of Pumactant's new treatment potential is its ability to replace surfactant, or surface coating, that is disrupted by illness and medical procedures.

Lofexidine: Marketed as BritLofex® in the UK, this drug is a non-addictive treatment to help patients detoxify from opiates. BritLofex® has been used in the UK since 1991 where it has achieved the status of market leader, with approximately 20,000 detoxifications per year. In addition, BritLofex's proven level of safety in the UK allows for the drug to be used in an out-patient context. Currently the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is overseeing a Phase III trial for the use of BritLofex® (Lofexidine hydrochloride) in drug detoxification, with the goal of submitting the treatment for FDA approval within the next two years.

Britannia Health Products Limited
www.britannia-health.co.uk

Britannia Health's first successes began by bringing Efamol (and evening primrose oil capsules) from anonymity to being a well-known household brand in the UK, recognised for its antioxidant benefits. Recognising trends for enhanced health and longevity through better nutrition, Britannia Health develops innovative products for consumers interested in healthy lifestyles.

Commercially, Britannia Health is the Forum Bioscience Group's specialist company for retail, mail order and web sales channels, concentrating on developing and marketing health-promoting products which include foods, health supplements, nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Britannia Health Products works closely with Forum Food Ingredients and Functional Foods and pharmaceutical colleagues to bridge the gaps and bring ingredient ideas and innovative products to consumers. The directors and management team leading Britannia Health are recognised speakers and experts in their fields.

Products like Colief Infant Drops (lactase enzyme drops) have revolutionised parents' ability to deal with the stress and distress of infant colic. Food supplements such as Prostabrit are welcomed by mature men who seek to maintain a healthy prostate. Functional foods include products such as Vogel's Lycosoy (an antioxidant snack combining tomato Lycopene, Soy Isoflavones, Vitamin E and Folic Acid) and Fruisana Fruit Sugar, a retail fructose with special applications for diabetics and dieters.

Britannia Health continues to specialise in identifying new nutritional trends and products and maximising their potential in the marketplace.

The Forum Group, through its companies above, has maintained a steady increase in turnover and profit since the early '80's, and currently has a turnover in excess of £120 million, with over 120 employees, and now specialises in sales, marketing, product development, registration and distribution of products to its chosen industries.

"Forum Bioscience supplies high quality life science ingredients, and adds value to these ingredients to create products across food, feed and pharmaceuticals that are a step-change ahead of our competition."

Our future: Bioscience

As the twenty-first century evolves into the age of information and knowledge, the Forum Group has re-engineered its existing business to organise its knowledge base, recognising its importance as one of our key products and services. In May 2002, the Forum Group became the Forum Bioscience Group to reflect this shift in corporate focus.

Over the last 20 years, the Forum Group has built a formidable block of scientific, regulatory and commercial expertise and know-how. This know-how embraces the whole of product life cycle management across the breadth of the life science industries. This unique position is a tremendous asset which we offer to our customers and partners as a range of services tailored to the requirements of individual projects. Forum's customers increasingly need a partner who understands not just how to sell and supply, but how to manage the whole product life cycle. Forum Bioscience is a Group that industry can turn to for this competitive advantage.

The Forum Bioscience Group takes the original Forum vision into the 21st century.