Bio-technology

Venture Southland has been working with Living Cell Technologies to address major health concerns such as diabetes and other life threatening disorders. The company uses the world's only biocertified pigs, which are retro virus free, as a source of clinical grade tissues or cells for medical use.

Pigs were re-introduced to Southland from the Auckland Islands in 1999, where they had thrived in isolation for almost 200 years.

Living Cell Technologies obtained Authorisation to use the pigs in their research and they recognised the pigs were uniquely suited for their purpose as they had remained in an unmodified landscape, with little exposure to any disease.

Living Cell Technologies is the only xenotransplant cell therapy company owning all major components of the value chain from patents, raw material production, to product manufacture. Southland's quarantine facility is the base for protecting the animals from modern disease. Consequently, Living Cell Technologies has plans to base more of their business in Southland.