New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis company, Helius Therapeutics, has taken another major step on its GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certification journey.
The company announced it has been awarded GMP certification for the drying and finishing of medicinal cannabis flower by New Zealand’s Ministry of Health.
“This certification is a very significant development for Helius and our country’s newest sector. It’s also great news for the many patients and advocates who fought for years for the legalisation of a local medicinal cannabis industry to produce 100% local products for local people,” says Helius Therapeutics chief executive, Carmen Doran.
The company was awarded its first GMP certification back in 2021. Since then, Helius has gone on to add process certifications including for the extraction of CBD and THC (crude and distillate), the manufacture of cannabis-based medicines, drying and processing dried flower, and packing and distribution of medicinal cannabis products.
Helius currently supplies New Zealand’s domestic market with six oil based medicinal cannabis products, and will now be able to offer Kiwi-grown flower to patients via the country’s medical cannabis prescription process.
“Being the only company in New Zealand to now be fully certified across its entire facility will allow Helius to further expand its product portfolio,” said Ms. Doran. “Site-wide certification including dry flower will only improve the reliability of the local supply chain and improve the local offering.”
Helius says the site-wide certification will see it boosting its indoor growing operations.
The first officially verified locally grown and made THC based cannabis medicines in New Zealand were launched by Helius late last year, following the firm being awarded GMP certification to produce THC extracts and manufacture medicines in mid-December.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Helius Therapeutics has a 8,800sqm integrated facility enabling indoor controlled cultivation, analytics, research, manufacturing, logistics, management and bonded distribution to occur all under the one roof. The company is approved to grow more than forty cannabis cultivars with varying attributes that have been sourced from local and international breeders.
Helius has close ties with another major Kiwi cannabis company; Puro.
