The listing, which comes just ten days after parent company Hovid was listed on the Malaysian Securities Exchange Board, is expected to raise RM30.7 million (US$8m), which has been earmarked for debt repayment and working capital.
Carotech says it controls 80 percent of the world's palm tocotrienol complex/palm vitamin E market and is the US market's main supplier.
In November 2004 it was awarded US patent #5,157,132 for the process it developed to extract tototrienol, a potent form of vitamin E with significant differences to the chemical structure of more commonly used tocopherol. The complex is marketed as Tocomin.
"The pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industry requires us to be innovative and create something new for our customers," said CEO David Ho. He maintains that a solid scientific background and, therefore, R&D spend, is fundamental to the marketing and take-up of the ingredient.
A two-period, two-sequence crossover study indicated that tocotrieniol has 2-300 percent better bioavailability than conventional tocotrienol oil extract, which means formulators need to use less to achieve the same therapeutic level.
Previous research on Tocomin has also determined that tocotrienols cross the blood-brain barrier and are potent protectors of neuron cells that may be killed due to stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Carotech also produces the natural mixed carotene complex Caromin and non-GM phytosterols from palm fruits (Elaeis guineensis) under the Steromax brand.