Cell Biotech has made its first export of CBT probiotics to South Africa, marking its entry into the African market for the first time since its founding.
According to Cell Biotech, the company has expanded its export network to include Africa, completing its reach across all six continents, following previous expansions into Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania.
This export was facilitated through the Vitafoods Europe, the world's largest health supplement expo. Vitafoods Europe encompasses the entire value chain of the health supplement industry, from raw materials to finished products and distribution.
Since becoming the first domestic company to participate in this expo in 2002, Cell Biotech has consistently attended for 25 years, broadening its connections with international partners and showcasing the technological prowess of Korean probiotics. The first export to South Africa is a tangible result of the overseas network established at the expo.
Building on these international partnerships, Cell Biotech has achieved steady results in various countries. From 2013 to 2025, the cumulative export value of domestic probiotics reached 538.5 billion won, with Cell Biotech accounting for 268.8 billion won, or about 50% of the total. This achievement has allowed Cell Biotech to maintain its position as the top exporter of domestic probiotics for 13 consecutive years.
The company's performance varies by country. In Denmark, the home of probiotics, DuoLac has surpassed local brands to capture the top market share in pharmacies. In Germany, a leading market for health supplements, cumulative exports have exceeded $30 million. Additionally, since entering Indonesia in 2001 with its independently developed CBT probiotics, Cell Biotech has achieved the top market share, and DuoLac, launched in Singapore in 2015, has become the number one in the ethical pharmaceutical (ETC) market.
Cell Biotech attributes its global market expansion to its independently developed dual coating technology. This technology protects live probiotics with a dual layer of protein and polysaccharides, safeguarding them from stomach acid and bile salts while ensuring safe delivery to the intestines. Clinical trials have demonstrated that this coated probiotics have up to 221 times higher survival rates in the intestines compared to uncoated probiotics.
A representative from Cell Biotech stated, "We will continue to expand our global partnerships based on our unique CBT probiotics and dual coating technology, further enhancing the competitiveness of K-probiotics in the global market."
Meanwhile, Cell Biotech reported an increase in both revenue and operating profit for the second quarter of this year. The company announced preliminary figures showing revenue of 15.8 billion won, operating profit of 1.6 billion won, and net profit of 3.6 billion won for the second quarter, marking increases of 32.8% in revenue and 28% in operating profit compared to the same period last year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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