MPX International Malta subsidiary, Alphapharma Operations, gets medical cannabis licence

MPX International Corporation, a multinational diversified cannabis company, in partnership with Bortex Group Holdings Company Limited, said Tuesday that its Maltese indirect subsidiary, Alphapharma Operations Ltd, has received its licence for the Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Research Purposes issued by the Malta Medicines Authority. This follows the attainment of the European Union Good Manufacturing Practice certification issued by the Medicines Authority of Malta in January.

MPX International Corporation, a multinational diversified cannabis company, MPXIs investment in Malta was also backed by the country’s economic development agency, Malta Enterprise, who offered support via its various financial measures and other practical assistance in the setting up phase, the statement said.

The receipt of the Medical Cannabis Licence is the final requirement for MPXI Malta to begin commercial production and export of finished medical cannabis flower products from Malta into markets across Europe and elsewhere.

MPXI Malta has already secured EUGMP sourced material from licensed cultivation partners. This will be supplemented with additional cannabis flower from its South African-based EUGMP First Growth cultivation facility, likely in late 2023, the company said.

The first product has already been successfully registered in Malta and it will be launched for distribution under MPXI’s own Salus BioPharma brand in Q3 2022. Similar entry into other markets such as Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and New Zealand are expected later on in the year.

Through this licensing process, MPXI has become one of the very few companies with an EU-GMP Certified and fully licensed cannabis facility which is actually located in the European marketplace. In line with its expansion plans, MPXI Malta has already started working towards applying for a license amendment to process cannabis derivatives, such as oils.

“The Medical Cannabis License is a significant milestone for MPXI’s operations in Europe and MPXI’s international growth strategy. Our team in Malta has been exceptional in its pursuit of the license and is well positioned for the next phase which is the export of the cannabis flower,” said W. Scott Boyes, chairman, president and CEO of MPXI. “This achievement reinforces our plans to create a global cannabis company. MPXI is uniquely positioned to be the only cannabis company with revenue generating operations in North America, Europe and Asia, which MPXI believes will lead to additional strategic opportunities.”

Karl Bartolo, general manager and director of MPXI Malta said: “We are extremely proud of our team in Malta for this incredible achievement, especially through the challenging circumstances presented by the pandemic. Malta provides a strategic gateway to emerging EU markets and it upholds high pharmaceutical standards and a strong regulatory framework. We will continue working relentlessly on introducing new technologies and formulations in order to provide patients and prescribers consistent access to a wide portfolio of medical cannabis products of the highest quality, safety and efficacy standards.”

Kurt Farrugia, CEO of Malta Enterprise said: "Malta Enterprise is very proud to be part of MPXI’s journey in Malta. We never doubted that MPXI would be one of the first companies to become fully licensed for the production of medical cannabis here in Malta. Their state-ofthe-art facility in the Central Business District, coupled with the expertise and knowledge held by their local team, are definitely a showcase for the medical cannabis industry. As CEO of Malta Enterprise, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate MPXI, as well as to re-iterate our commitment to support the medical cannabis ecosystem in Malta."