Venture Life Regulatory News (VLG)

Venture Life Group plc

("Venture Life" or the "Group")

Commercial update

UltraDEX distribution gains, new product launches, other commercial progress

Venture Life Group plc (AIM: VLG), the international consumer healthcare group focused on developing, manufacturing and commercialising products for the self-care market, announces further distribution gains and launches for its leading oral care brand UltraDEX, together with other commercial progress.

UltraDEX

Venture Life announces the continued expansion of its UltraDEX distribution in the UK, with the following new listings:

- The UltraDEX mouthwash will see a new listing in Day Lewis Pharmacies during Q1 2018. Day Lewis is a significant pharmacy chain with more than 300 outlets in the UK; this important pharmacy chain further strengthens the Group's presence in the pharmacy channel in the UK.

- The leading pharmacy chain Superdrug, which already sells the UltraDEX mouthwash and spray, has agreed to list UltraDEX toothpaste in approx. 460 stores in Q1 2018.

- Continuing the expansion into the convenience channel that started with listings in the Moto motorway service stations in 2017, the UltraDEX mouth spray will be launched in all Roadchef outlets across the UK in Q1 2018.

Following successful TV marketing campaigns in 2017, the UltraDEX brand will also be back on television screens during Q1 2018, featuring on channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema and Sky Living.

In addition to the UK distribution gains, the international progress of the brand continues. UltraDEX has been launched with the Group's new long term exclusive partners in Italy, France and Scandinavia, following the signing of distribution agreements in 2017. First orders were delivered at the end of 2017 and we expect these partners to begin to contribute important new revenues to the brand.

New product launches

Q1 2018 will also see the launch of the Benecol liquid sachets in Jordan, their first market, following the successful registration with the Jordanian FDA. These sachets are a novel way of delivering the cholesterol reducing active, plant stanol esters.

Other commercial progress

Venture Life has signed a new exclusive long term partnering agreement for Procto-eze Plus, its product for the treatment of haemorrhoids with a new partner for the Romanian market. The Procto-eze range is currently partnered in 12 countries and growing.

The Lubatti skincare brand has continued to show growing in-store sales in China though H2 2017, via the Group's exclusive long term partner, Gialen, which has over 2,200 stores in mainland China. The Group has already received orders in 2018 (as of end of January) from this partner, which exceed the total revenues from Gialen in 2017.

2018 has started well for the whole Group, with the current order book ahead of the same point in 2017 and in line with management's expectations. 

Venture Life will announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2017 on Thursday 22 March 2018.

Jerry Randall, CEO of Venture Life, commented: "I am delighted to update the market on these important commercial gains for the Group. The UltraDEX brand continues to develop in our hands, both in the UK and internationally, demonstrating the strength of our commercial platform to innovate and grow the brand, and there are more exciting developments to come in 2018. The operational leverage we have in the Group enables us to drive the margin from growing revenues through to the bottom line, and this will continue through 2018 and beyond, with meaningful capacity in our operations. The progress on our other brands continues steadily. The continued growth of in-store sales of our Lubatti brand in China is very encouraging, and our forward looking order profile shows this growth will continue as Lubatti develops into a meaningful and valuable brand for the Group."

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This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR).

About Venture Life (www.venture-life.com)

Venture Life is an international consumer self-care company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercialising self-care products globally. The Group's product range and pipeline currently includes the UltraDEX oral care products range, food supplements for lowering cholesterol and maintaining brain function, dermo-cosmetics for addressing the signs of ageing, and medical devices for improving minor aches and pains, dry eyes and itchy skin.

The products, which typically are recommended by pharmacists or healthcare practitioners, are available primarily through pharmacies supplied by the Group's international distribution partners.

Through its Development & Manufacturing business, Biokosmes, the Group also provides development and manufacturing services to companies in the medical devices and cosmetic sectors.