Tellumat-developed SIMpill medical tech goes global with UK partner

Rasheed Hargey, CEO of the Tellumat Group, says the companies acted with vision early on in the partnership, exporting the highly successful TB-combating SIMpill to the US, UK, Canada and The Netherlands, where it consistently returned 90% drug adherence in trials.

Continuing in this decisive vein, SIMpill then challenged Tellumat's globally-recognised technological expertise to develop the SIMpill SMART, a version 2.0 that could be used to boost drug adherence in other chronic diseases. The marketing opportunities of broader application took the system to yet more countries, where it is winning awards and wowing stakeholders across the healthcare value chain in more trials and pilots.

Sticking with the best
Brendan Rens, MD of SIMpill, recounts that SIMpill UK was originally the UK and European distributor of what started out as a South African brand and product. “But we saw the global potential early on and took a 75% stake in order to give the product global backing and impetus.”

The company retained Tellumat for the continued development and manufacturing of the SIMpill range. “Tellumat was involved in the early development of the SIMpill Medication Adherence Solution, and we felt it was natural to continue the partnership with them,” says Rens. “For further development we needed someone of their standing in the global manufacturing space, their expertise and obviously their knowledge of the SIMpill system and business, having driven its past successes.”

Product development and manufacturing

Tellumat boasts a strong engineering skills base and experience in full-service electronic manufacturing. Hargey notes that Tellumat's 6000m² factory in Cape Town builds more than 40 000 circuit boards per month for its largest customer. The company recently won a deal to provide outsourced manufacturing services to a UK-based manufacturing firm.

Over 10 years since inception, Tellumat has finished development of nine key product families, including:
- A software-definable microwave radio;
- The country's first all-in-one GSM payphone, installed widely on the continent;
- The SIMpill system; and
- Tellumat Defence's Identification - Friend or Foe product and system portfolio.

The company invests up to 10% of its revenue in research and development of manufacturing and design techniques. With extensive engineering, project and technology skills in manufacturing, defence and communications, it has signed skills- and technology-sharing arrangements with leading firms in other emerging economies, including India and Saudi Arabia.

“Tellumat is an exciting company to work with,” says Rens. “They are committed to their partners, are very professional, and most importantly: they strongly believed in us and in the product. We believe that Tellumat's Level 4 Black Empowerment status is an important indication of its commitment to South Africa, and hence its long-term sustainability.”

Tellumat
Riefqa Yusaf
Tel: +27 (0)21 710 2911
Cell: +27 (0)82 304 2144
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