Arvir has unique process and product technology; the former covers the manufacturing technology for the production of ß-thymidine, whereas the latter relates to novel antiretrovirals extracted from South African natural products. The process technology has been validated to a 20 litre scale and is ready for commercialisation. The product technology is still under development. The company is owned by LIFElab; the latter is the trade name of the East Coast Biotechnology (ECoBio) Regional Innovation Centre Trust. It is one of three Biotechnology Regional Innovation Centre Trusts (BRICS) that were set up in 2002 with funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the auspices of itsNational Biotechnology Strategy, with the aim of providing investment funding to develop a South African biotechnology industry. The company is located at the Aurum Institute in Parktown, Johannesburg.