CollTech granted patent

Perth collagen purification company CollTech (ASX:CAU) has been granted a patent by the Australian Patents Office.

CollTech produces collagen from sheepskins and is building a facility in the south-western town of Collie, close to the sheep-farming areas that will supply the skins.

The patent entitled 'Collagen and method for producing the same' protects novel aspects of the company's industrial process for the isolation of bio-molecules such as collagen and gelatine from animal skins.

CollTech has a number of complete patent applications pending in overseas jurisdictions including China, USA, and Europe.

The Australian patent has a term of 20 years and effectively provides the company with a 'key to species' protection until May 2023, said CollTech CEO Michael Pixley in a statement.

Collie facility

While the CollTech's new facility has experienced commissioning issues, the company expects to commence commercial production in the first quarter of 2005 with sales contracts expected soon after.

The plant has demonstrated a successful through-put rate of at least 400 sheep skins per day but experienced commissioning issues during commercial scale-up, due to the different properties of the raw material in the sheep skins.

Process trials to resolve these issues are in progress