Biotech Holdings completes first Sucanon production order


VANCOUVER, Jun 7, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- (PR NewsWire)


Robert Rieveley, President of Biotech Holdings (the "Company", TSX-V: BIO.V; OTC BB: BIOHF) announced today that the Company has completed the first production order of its Sucanon diabetes drug.

"I am pleased to report that our first production order is now completed. We have manufactured Sucanon for 1.2 million tablets or 20,000 one-month treatment packages. We project shipping this production to Mexico this week," Mr. Rieveley said.

"The sales value to Biotech of this shipment is in the range of $240,000 US," Mr. Rieveley said.

"Monthly shipments of this volume, providing monthly treatment for 20,000 diabetics, would move us easily into profitability. With 10 million reporting Type II diabetics in Mexico and 10 million unreporting, we believe that Mexico offers tremendous potential for ongoing use of Sucanon as an effective and very safe treatment of Type II Diabetes symptoms. Our plant capacity of up to 400,000 one-month treatment packages can be readily expanded as needed," Mr. Rieveley added.

Biotech Holdings' Sucanon is an insulin-sensitizing drug for treatment of symptoms of Type II Diabetes and a related condition, Impaired Glucose Tolerance. The drug, in tablet form, improves patients' ability to utilize insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.

Biotech Holdings has received regulatory approval for sale of Sucanon in Mexico and Peru as a treatment of Type II Diabetes symptoms. Biotech Holdings has also signed distribution agreements for the drug for Chile, Venezuela, Columbia and Argentina and plans to make regulatory applications for Sucanon in these jurisdictions as well as in Brazil.

Following up on its regulatory approval in Mexico and Peru, the Company expects to make applications shortly in several other jurisdictions in Latin America, including Argentina, Chile, Venezuela.

If you would you would like to be added to Biotech Holdings' email list for future news updates or summary clinical materials, please click here: http://www.biotechltd.com/info.asp

Biotech Holdings Ltd.'s head office is in Richmond, British Columbia. Biotech Holdings' shares trade on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board in the United States (BIOHF.OB) and on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada (BIO.V). For inquiries, contact Austin Rand at Biotech Holdings Ltd., 1-888-216-1111 (toll-free), 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific time, or by e-mail at biotech@direct.ca. For background information and current stock quotations, please visit Biotech's website at www.biotechltd.com.

SOURCE Biotech Holdings Ltd.

For inquiries, contact Austin Rand at Biotech Holdings Ltd., 1-888-216-1111 (toll-free), 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific time, or by e-mail at biotech@direct.ca. For background information and current stock quotations, please visit Biotech's website at www.biotechltd.com. To request a free copy of this organization's annual report, please go to http://www.newswire.ca and click on reports@cnw. (BIO. BIOHF)

Copyright (C) 2004 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.