Neoceuticals, the company which specialises in pharmaceuticals for babies, is now targeting the lucrative Chinese market.

Neoceuticals, which has developed a prescription product used to prevent bleeding in newborn babies because of a deficiency in Vitamin K, gained UK approval for the launch of its NeoKay vitamin K capsules in July.

The company, based at York Science Park, secured a £1 million export deal to Russia and nine former Eastern Bloc countries, now has a batch of the product currently being tested in China.

Dr Andrew Brodrick, director of Neoceuticals said about 15 million babies are born in China each year and the incidence of Vitamin K deficiency in newborns is four times greater than the UK.

Professor Hui Fen Zhang, who heads up the paediatric department at the University Hospital, Hebei, had been closely following the development of NeoKay. He was introduced to Neoceuticals by Dr Martin Shearer, honorary consultant scientist at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital who is an expert in Vitamin K.

Dr Brodrick said: “NeoKay is now available in capsules and drops and a batch of the product is now being tested in China. It may be that the drops will meet the Chinese authority’s criteria as a food supplement, which would offer the fastest route to market.”