Biolabex — the first-of-its-kind GMP-compliant CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation) in the Indian Ocean — enables cosmetics companies to undergo a wide range of R&D and consulting services on a technical platform including early development, formulation, manufacturing, concept marketing, regulatory affairs and compliance audits.
Why Mauritius?
Speaking to Cosmetics Design Asia, Marc Labiche, CEO of Biolabex said that the company’s decision to base the new hub in Mauritius was a strategic one: “The Mascarene region, particularly Mauritius, which is close to Madagascar, is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots of the world, and comes with many endemic plants.”
“Mauritius is widely regarded as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and we saw great potential in locating our first laboratory here,” Labiche went on to say.
Strategic support
Labiche comments that the new production unit in Mauritius offers rich opportunities to source active ingredients. Simultaneously, the company’s office in Paris is strategically placed to connect with industry magnates in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors.
Home also to BioPark Mauritius — the first biotechnological hub in the Indian Ocean — and with a host biotech companies, Biolabex provides new services and activities in addition to existing R&D capabilities.
With 500 sqm of laboratory space, Biolabex has teamed up with CIDP, an internationally recognised CRO (Contract Research Organisation) and Quantilab, a multi-disciplinary analytical laboratory, to offer cosmetics brands full R&D support including sourcing active ingredients and bringing products to market.
Short-term goals
“For now, our focus is on the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical market in Europe and US, before looking towards promising markets such as Africa and Asia,” Labiche added.
“Our future plans include expansion of our clientele to other industries, such as medical devices, food supplements, and agriculture.”
Housing a full suite of biotechnology, the new Biolabex facility helps to “source natural active ingredients from the biodiversity of the Indian Ocean, with the setup and the development of local eco-responsible agricultural sectors”.
Labiche emphasised that the establishment of the Biolabex aims “to strengthen industry collaborations by creating innovative and complete cosmetic ranges based on new active ingredients from the local flora in Mauritius”.
In addition, it also hopes to “be a key partner to the dermocosmetic industry in early development, through the provision of service offerings that span from manufacturing clinical batches to realisation of clinical trials, in compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and GCP (Good Clinical Practice) standards”.
Long-term objective
As part of its long-term strategy, Biolabex hopes to offer services to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies within the African and Asian markets.
Concentrating on the wider impact that this will have on the APAC region, “the idea is to focus and train talents on the auspicious Mascarene, located in the heart of the APAC region between Africa and Asia - two promising markets that we are keen to explore”.
Labiche added that currently with a “growing demand from Asian and African consumers for cosmetic products with anti-pollution, antioxidant, and whitening properties, but with a natural, biological, and traditional origin”, this will be a key area for Biolabex to focus its services on.
The centre hopes to support specific areas within the cosmetics sector including several formulations such as the “development of solid, liquid and semi-solid formulas stability, efficiency and safety studies and design regulatory dossiers for ingredients and finished products guidance and marketing strategies”.