The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS NORWAY
©THE JAPAN TIMES	Thursday, November 15, 2001

Vigdis Heggeli is consolidating Dynal Biotech's position as one of the world's key biotech companies.

Tiny bead produces biotech milestone A feat only NASA had accomplished in the weightless environment of space. A breakthrough that propelled the science world generations ahead. A biotechnology discovery that helps save lives. All of this achieved by a microscopic mechanism invisible to the naked eye called Dynobeads. Dynal Biotech, originally named Dynal in 1986 when the company was first established, is the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of Dynobeads, uniform polymer spheres of exactly the same size originally used in the separation and manipulation of cells whose use has further expanded to include the isolation of proteins and other genetic material.

Today, Dynal Biotech holds the exclusive worldwide rights to all commercial use of the 170 patents and 25 patent applications of dynobeads making them the world leader in the development and supplier of this specialized beads. Today the company focuses on three core business units, Immunosystems, Molecular Systems and HLA Diagnostic.

Immunosystems focuses on cell separation and D.B. targets clinical research companies. Last years profits in this area reached 15million dollars. Molecular Systems focuses on the isolation and handling of genetic material and proteins in diagnostics and genomics.

Over 5000 instruments have Dynobeads installed in them and customers in this area include the larger pharmaceutical companies, including Roche. Last year's profits in this area reached 15 million dollars. HLA Diagnostics focuses on genetic typing of donors and recipients of organ and bone marrow transplants. In 2000, HLA made a profit of 12 million dollars.

With the change of name from Dynal to Dynal Biotech in December of 2000, the company has repositioned itself to be a key player in the biotechnology industry on a global scale focusing a considerable amount of attention on increasing it's presence and market share in Japan. According to Vigdis Heggeli, the CEO of Dynal Biotech, DB is currently doing business with several key companies in Japan but it is looking to further its presence and market share through strategic partnerships within this region,

"International corporate image is important but we are not well known yet. The products are much better known than the company and that has to do with the last couple of years when there was not a lot of focus on marketing of the company. We have been trying to figure out a key to success in terms of marketing."

Currently, Dynal Biotech is has several key Japanese customers including the Immuno, Kinos, Sanko (Asi), Shionagi, Shinal Test, Touso and The National Cancer Institute in Tokyo which is D.B. largest research customer in Japan. However, according to Heggeli, in the upcoming year, Dynal Biotech plans on making more of mark in the Japanese market.

"This company has high quality products and very unique technology so we are in the process of building up our international presence. We are known but not very well know globally so we are actively looking for partners in Japan to help increase our presence," she says.

"Production we don't need, but technology development and marketing we do. That is the key to our success in Japan and globally," she adds.