Ora Pharm has completed its acquisition of Helius Therapeutics’ business and key operating assets, with settlement now finalised and all relevant licences and product registrations issued to Ora Pharm.
The deal sees the creation of New Zealand’s largest end-to-end medicinal cannabis and hemp supply chain capable of supporting an emerging high-value export industry.
Helius’ EU GMP-certified manufacturing facility and established prescriber and distribution relationships will be merged with Ora Pharm’s national grower network and global export capability. Together, the two form a fully-integrated supply chain spanning genetics, cultivation, processing, manufacturing and export.
Ora Pharm says the purchase addresses a major barrier to growth in New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis sector.
Historically, there has been limited onshore capacity to extract pharmaceutical-grade oil, which has restricted opportunities for New Zealand-grown cannabis biomass to be developed into export-ready medicinal products.
Ora Pharm Chief Executive, Zoe Reece, says the acquisition is a significant milestone for both Ora Pharm and the whole New Zealand medicinal cannabis sector.
“For the first time we have an integrated export pathway for bulk cannabis biomass and finished products, capable of operating at scale. That gives New Zealand growers commercially realistic access into regulated international markets.”
The acquisition comes as the Government continues to lower barriers for medicinal cannabis exporters. Recent regulatory changes now allow licensed medicinal cannabis cultivators to grow low-THC plants without a separate hemp licence, opening new opportunities across both medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp production. Medsafe export licence processing times have also reduced significantly under the new regulations, while export demand continues to rise steadily.
Ora Pharm says there are already benefits to regional economies of the integrated model, with a new grower hub in the Hokonui (Southland) region being established, including centralised drying and packing facilities to support local cultivators.
Bulk plant material will be transported from the Hokonui hub to Ora Pharm’s extraction and manufacturing facilities for processing into a final product for local patients or export.
The company believes the model could become a blueprint for regional investment, employment and skills development as the sector matures.
“This is one of those situations where a rising tide lifts all boats,” says Ms Reece. “The more we can process and export from New Zealand, the greater the opportunity for farmers to consider cannabis and hemp as viable high-value crops. It also creates the scale needed to support further investment into advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, added-value products and associated clinical research.”
“New Zealand already has a global reputation for high-quality agriculture, trusted provenance and strong regulatory standards. The medicinal cannabis industry aligns naturally with those strengths – making it ideally positioned as a significant primary industry for the future.”