Creativity & Lifestyle

Healthy market attracts nutrition distributor

22 January 2025


Taiwan biotech debuts probiotics line in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s vibrant retail sector is serving as the ideal testing ground for Taiwan’s Schweitzer Health Biotech Co. Ltd (SHBC), as it eyes distributing nutrition supplements across Asia.

Active in Taiwan for decades, SHBC is the official Asian distributor of Wieder Probiotics Immune and Digestive Support products, a brand with an 85-year history of manufacturing in the United States.

After good sales in Taiwan, the company began looking for marketing partners elsewhere. In 2023, it approached the Taipei office of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for resources and introductions. In early 2024, SHBC officially teamed with marketing agent DKSH Hong Kong to enter the Hong Kong market.

Following a period of marketing and partnership development, DKSH launched Wieder Probiotics products at several upmarket supermarkets in November 2024, celebrating the occasion with a campaign giving out 1 million free samples. The product is now available at supermarket chains, such as Wellcome, 3hree sixty and Market Place.

Reflecting on choosing Hong Kong as a base for expansion, SHBC Chairman James Chen said: "Hong Kong is the preferred location to take our brand to the world because of its high degree of internationalisation, proximity to the mainland and other parts of Asia, and DKSH's extensive international network, industry expertise and comprehensive services, which will help our company open up overseas markets."


Hong Kong supermarkets showcase Wieder Probiotics products distributed by Taiwanese company SHBC


The tie-up between SHBC and DKSH was one of many collaborative agreements concluded at the 2024 Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), one of HKTDC’s major annual conferences and its flagship health event.

Other announcements at the conference included new ophthalmology collaborations between Hong Kong, Indonesian and Thai companies, and a project between AstraZeneca and the Centre for Stem Cell Translational Research to translate research findings into healthcare solutions that improve lives.

Such announcements symbolise the vitality of Hong Kong’s biotech and health industry across areas such as ophthalmology, gastrointestinal health, artificial intelligence and innovative pharmaceuticals.

In 2025, ASGH will be held on 26 and 27 May. The Summit will bring together government officials, business leaders, investors, professional service providers and academia to examine global trends in health innovation and investment, while showcasing new partnership opportunities for investors and project owners.

For DKSH, the collaboration with SHBC is also a step into new territory. “We are very pleased to enter into this first partnership with SHBC," said Fong Wai Ting, Vice President of DKSH Healthcare Hong Kong & Macau.

“This partnership is an important milestone for us, as it reinforces our vision of providing quality healthcare solutions for healthy living and opens up opportunities in the growing holistic healthcare market."


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