Photo: ROBERT CROSS
Agritech firm Bontia Bio has patented world-first technology which could bring a massive shakeup to the billion-dollar global animal treatment market.
The technology allows naturally forming anti-parasitic compounds, used to create flea and tick treatments, to be synthetically replicated, meaning they can be produced in commercially viable quantities. Veterinarians and pet owners are increasingly noticing problems with existing flea and tick treatments, including emerging drug resistance, adverse side effects and negative environmental impacts.
But treatments created via these compounds - which form on fungi - have so far shown no signs of toxicity and can be reproduced sustainably. The scientific breakthrough for the New Zealand company has been years in the making.
Two of the company's directors are Matthew Nicholson and Emily Parker.
