Biohit

Last updated
Biohit Oyj
Company type Julkinen osakeyhtiö
Nasdaq Helsinki:  BIOBV.B
Industry Medical equipment
Founded1988;36 years ago (1988)
FounderOsmo Suovaniemi
Headquarters Helsinki, Finland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Osmo Suovaniemi (Founder and Chairman of the Board), Semi Korpela (President and CEO)
ProductsDiagnostics and medical devices (Acetium products for acid free stomach and smoking cessation)
Total equity €15.5 million (2019)
Number of employees
40 in Finland, 10 in subsidiaries
Website www.biohithealthcare.com

Biohit Oyj is a Finnish company which develops, manufactures, and markets biotech and diagnostics products for use in research and health care.

Contents

Summary

Biohit was established in 1988 in Finland by Professor Osmo Suovaniemi (M.D., Ph.D.), previously known as the founder of Labsystems  [ fi ]. [1] [2] He stepped down from the CEO position in June 2011, but remains actively involved with the company through positions on several advisory boards. Biohit is a globally operating Finnish biotechnology company. Biohit is headquartered in Helsinki and has subsidiaries in Italy and the UK. Biohit's Series B share (BIOBV) has been quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki since 1999, Small cap/Healthcare. Semi Korpela was appointed CEO in 2011.

Markets

Biohit's two businesses are acetaldehyde-eliminating products and diagnostics. More than 90% of Biohit's sales occur outside Finland. [3]

Diagnostic tests

The diagnostic product range of Biohit includes the GastroPanel examinations, which are used to aid diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis from a blood sample. They are also ideal tools for the identification of patients at increased risk of gastric cancer, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and deficiencies of vitamin B12, calcium, and iron. In addition to this, Biohit offers Quick tests for the detection of

Acetaldehyde binding products

In 2018 was launched a new, nicotine-free smoking cessation product, Acetium Lozenge.

Monoclonal antibodies

Biohit also develops and manufactures monoclonal antibodies for research use and use as raw materials for the diagnostic industry.

Instruments

Adopting a systems approach, Biohit also provides laboratory equipment, such as microplate instruments and automates, as well as liquid handling products to support Biohit ELISA tests.

Distribution network

A network of 40 distributors, including 2 subsidiaries, in more than 40 countries is selling Biohit products. In the U.S. the official distributor is Bio Testing Supplies, a division of Avrio Genetics.[ citation needed ]

Research, development, and intellectual property

Biohit spends roughly 30% of net sales on basic research each year and pursues an aggressive patenting strategy. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urea breath test</span> Medical test for a bacteria infection

The urea breath test is a rapid diagnostic procedure used to identify infections by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral bacterium implicated in gastritis, gastric ulcer, and peptic ulcer disease. It is based upon the ability of H. pylori to convert urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urea breath tests are recommended in leading society guidelines as a preferred non-invasive choice for detecting H. pylori before and after treatment.

Peptic ulcer disease is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines is a duodenal ulcer. The most common symptoms of a duodenal ulcer are waking at night with upper abdominal pain, and upper abdominal pain that improves with eating. With a gastric ulcer, the pain may worsen with eating. The pain is often described as a burning or dull ache. Other symptoms include belching, vomiting, weight loss, or poor appetite. About a third of older people with peptic ulcers have no symptoms. Complications may include bleeding, perforation, and blockage of the stomach. Bleeding occurs in as many as 15% of cases.

<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Species of bacteria

Helicobacter pylori, previously known as Campylobacter pylori, is a gram-negative, flagellated, helical bacterium. Mutants can have a rod or curved rod shape, and these are less effective. Its helical body is thought to have evolved in order to penetrate the mucous lining of the stomach, helped by its flagella, and thereby establish infection. The bacterium was first identified as the causal agent of gastric ulcers in 1983 by the Australian doctors Barry Marshall and Robin Warren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stomach cancer</span> Cancerous tumor originating in the stomach lining

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Marshall</span> Australian physician (born 1951)

Barry James Marshall is an Australian physician, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Professor of Clinical Microbiology and Co-Director of the Marshall Centre at the University of Western Australia. Marshall and Robin Warren showed that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori plays a major role in causing many peptic ulcers, challenging decades of medical doctrine holding that ulcers were caused primarily by stress, spicy foods, and too much acid. This discovery has allowed for a breakthrough in understanding a causative link between Helicobacter pylori infection and stomach cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Achlorhydria</span> Medical condition

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genzyme</span> Company

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Timeline of peptic ulcer disease and <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marginal zone lymphoma</span> Group of lymphomas

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infectious causes of cancer</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronavirus breathalyzer</span> Diagnostic medical device

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References

  1. Harriet Öster (8 October 1998). "Labsystems kasvaa suuren suojassa". Tekniikka & Talous. Retrieved 2009-11-15.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. Osmo Suovaniemi, Helena Hentola (2004). "Aggressive Innovation and Patenting Strategy – the Way to Success and National Well-Being" (PDF). Biohit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-10. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  3. Biohit Oyj. Annual Report 2019
  4. Reuters. Overview of Biomet Oyj.