Karex

Karex is a Malaysian manufacturer specializing in condoms and related sexual-health and medical products. The business traces its industrial roots to a rubber plantation and rubber-processing operation established by the Goh family in Muar, Johor. In 1988, brothers Goh Siang, a chemical engineer, and Goh Leng Kian, a mechanical engineer, established the condom-manufacturing operation that developed into Karex Berhad. The company later expanded from a domestic manufacturer into a large international supplier serving consumer brands, public-health agencies, institutional buyers, and medical-product customers. Karex is best known for high-volume condom production. According to the referenced Wikipedia account, the company produces more than five billion condoms annually and accounts for approximately one in five condoms sold globally. Its manufacturing role is not limited to products sold under the Karex name: the company also acts as an original equipment manufacturer and contract supplier for established international brands, including Durex. This business-to-business activity gives Karex a presence in markets where consumers may not recognize the manufacturer behind the package. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, including plants at or near its Port Klang headquarters, Pontian, and Senai, as well as a factory in Hat Yai, Thailand. Its customer base spans retail and direct-to-consumer channels, commercial brand owners, distributors, and public-health organizations. Karex has supplied condoms in bulk to organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization for HIV-prevention and broader reproductive-health programs. The company’s own and affiliated consumer brands include Carex, ONE Condoms, MyONE Condoms, Trustex, NuVo, Fantasy, Night Light, Satin Oral Dams, and products associated with Pasante Healthcare and the TheyFit intellectual property portfolio. Although condoms remain the core of the business, Karex has diversified into personal lubricants, catheters, nitrile gloves, ultrasound-probe covers, and other healthcare-related products. Condoms represented 93 percent of revenue in 2016, illustrating both the strength of the core franchise and the extent to which diversification remained secondary at that time. Acquisitions in the United States and United Kingdom broadened Karex’s portfolio, manufacturing reach, brand ownership, and access to specialist product technologies. The acquisition of Global Protection Corp. connected Karex with ONE Condoms and other sexual-health brands, while the purchase of Pasante Healthcare strengthened its position in the British and European market. Intellectual-property transactions involving TheyFit and Line One Laboratories added custom-fit condom technology and rights connected with Trustex and Fantasy. Karex became a publicly listed company on Bursa Malaysia in 2013. Its scale and international customer base have made it strategically important to the global condom supply chain. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated this dependence: government restrictions in Malaysia temporarily halted production at all three Malaysian factories in March 2020, after which the plants were permitted to reopen with reduced staffing. The interruption raised concerns about supply constraints and a possible global condom shortage. Karex’s later product activity also included FDA-cleared ONE and MyONE products for anal-sex use and the launch of ONE Flex, described in the supplied reference as the first graphene-made condom. Karex’s positioning combines industrial scale, private-label and contract manufacturing, public-health supply, and consumer sexual-wellness innovation. Its business is therefore broader than a single retail condom label: it is simultaneously a global manufacturer, a brand owner, an intellectual-property operator, and a supplier to institutional health programs. The company remains active, with condoms continuing to define its public identity while adjacent medical and personal-care categories provide additional avenues for growth.

Karex’s history is rooted in the Goh family’s involvement in Malaysia’s rubber industry. The family operated a rubber tree farm and rubber factory in Muar, Johor, creating an industrial foundation that later supported condom manufacturing. In 1988, Goh Siang and Goh Leng Kian established a dedicated condom factory. Their technical backgrounds—chemical engineering for Goh Siang and mechanical engineering for Goh Leng Kian—were relevant to the formulation, production, and machinery requirements of latex products. The business grew during the 1990s from a relatively small Malaysian operation into an international manufacturer. By 1999, it reportedly employed 60 people and generated annual revenue of approximately US$1.9 million. Its growth model combined manufacturing scale with supply relationships involving consumer brands and institutional purchasers. Rather than relying exclusively on a single retail identity, Karex supplied products for other brands and participated in public-health procurement, including bulk condom programs associated with international health organizations. A major corporate milestone came in 2013, when Karex was listed on Bursa Malaysia. Public-company status supported the company’s expansion and provided a platform for acquisitions and international development. In 2014, Karex acquired 55 percent of Global Protection Corp., a Boston-based sexual-health company associated with ONE Condoms, Trustex, NuVo, Fantasy, Night Light, and Satin Oral Dams. Karex subsequently acquired the remaining 30 percent stake through a transaction involving cash and newly issued shares. The arrangement also gave Global Protection Corp. president and director Davin Wedel a 7.64 percent interest in the enlarged Karex share capital, according to the supplied reference. Karex continued its portfolio expansion in 2016. Its subsidiary Karex Holdings acquired all of West Sussex-based Pasante Healthcare for £6 million. In the same period, Karex acquired the intellectual property and United States FDA approvals of TheyFit LLC for US$1.3 million. The technology was intended to support MyONE Custom Fit Condoms, adding size variation and customization to the company’s product offering. Karex also acquired Line One Laboratories’ intellectual-property rights for US$8 million, including rights connected with the Trustex and Fantasy condom trademarks and patents. These transactions moved Karex beyond contract production and into ownership or control of differentiated consumer brands and product technologies. The company’s manufacturing footprint developed across Malaysia and Thailand. Its Malaysian operations include facilities in the Port Klang area, Pontian, and Senai, while an additional factory operates in Hat Yai, Thailand. This network supports large-volume production for international customers. Condoms have remained the center of the business, but Karex has also manufactured lubricants, catheters, nitrile gloves, ultrasound probe covers, and other healthcare products. In 2016, condoms accounted for 93 percent of revenue, showing that the adjacent categories had not displaced the core product. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the operational and public-health importance of Karex’s factories. In late March 2020, a Malaysian government lockdown forced all three Malaysian factories to stop production for more than a week. The government later authorized reopening with only half of the normal workforce. Because Karex is a large global supplier, the interruption was associated with warnings of pressure on international condom inventories and the possibility of a worldwide shortage. Karex-affiliated brands subsequently pursued regulatory and product innovation. In February 2022, ONE Condoms and MyONE Condoms were identified as the first condom brands to receive FDA approval for anal-sex use. In October 2023, ONE Condoms launched ONE Flex, described in the supplied reference as the first graphene condom. These developments illustrate Karex’s continuing emphasis on specialized products, materials, fit, and regulatory positioning. The supplied reference also reports that Global Protection Corp. secured exclusive licensing rights for Harmony Condoms in January 2026. Karex therefore combines a long-standing Malaysian manufacturing base with international acquisitions, branded sexual-health products, institutional supply, and intellectual-property-led innovation.

• 2026

  Harmony Condoms licensing arrangement reported

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Global Protection Corp. was reported to have secured exclusive licensing rights for Harmony Condoms.

• 2023

  ONE Flex launched

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  ONE Condoms launched ONE Flex, described as a graphene-made condom.

• 2022

  FDA approval for anal-sex use

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  ONE Condoms and MyONE Condoms received the regulatory approval described in the reference.

• 2020

  COVID-19 production interruption

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Malaysia’s lockdown temporarily halted Karex production and subsequent reopening operated with reduced staffing.

• 2016

  Pasante Healthcare acquired

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Karex acquired the entire stake in United Kingdom-based Pasante Healthcare for £6 million.

• 2016

  TheyFit intellectual property acquired

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Karex acquired TheyFit intellectual property and related United States FDA approvals for US$1.3 million.

• 2016

  Line One Laboratories intellectual property acquired

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Karex acquired Line One Laboratories intellectual-property rights associated with Trustex and Fantasy for US$8 million.

• 2014

  Initial Global Protection Corp. acquisition

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Karex acquired a 55 percent stake in Global Protection Corp., owner of the ONE Condoms and related brand portfolio.

• 2013

  Listed on Bursa Malaysia

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Karex became a publicly listed company in Malaysia.

• 1999

  Business reaches 60 employees

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  The company was reported to have 60 employees and annual revenue of approximately US$1.9 million.

• 1988

  Dedicated condom manufacturing operation founded

  [1]Karexen.wikipedia.org

  Brothers Goh Siang and Goh Leng Kian founded the condom factory that became the basis of Karex.

Global-scale condom manufacturing combined with consumer sexual-wellness brands, contract production, public-health supply, and adjacent medical products.

• Condoms · 1988

  Karex condoms

  Karex’s core product category consists of latex and related condom products manufactured for its own commercial activities, other consumer brands, distributors, and public-health programs. The company’s scale makes it one of the largest condom manufacturers globally.

• Sexual wellness

  ONE Condoms

  ONE Condoms is a consumer sexual-health brand associated with Global Protection Corp., the company acquired and subsequently controlled by Karex. The portfolio includes specialty condom formats and products positioned around sexual experience, design, and user choice.

• Custom-fit condoms

  MyONE Custom Fit Condoms

  MyONE is a custom-fit condom offering developed using the TheyFit intellectual-property portfolio acquired by Karex. It provides a range of selected sizes intended to improve fit and broaden the options available to consumers who are not well served by one-size-fits-all products.

• Graphene condom · 2023

  ONE Flex

  ONE Flex is a product launched by ONE Condoms in 2023. The supplied reference describes it as the first condom made with graphene, making it an example of the brand’s material-focused product innovation.

• Condoms and sexual-health products

  Pasante

  Pasante is a United Kingdom-based sexual-health brand acquired by Karex in 2016. Its integration added an established British product and distribution platform to Karex’s international portfolio.

• Condom brands

  Trustex and Fantasy

  Trustex and Fantasy are condom brands connected with intellectual-property rights acquired from Line One Laboratories. The transaction expanded Karex’s control of trademarks and patents in the United States sexual-health market.

• Personal care

  Personal lubricants

  Karex manufactures personal lubricants as an adjacent category to condoms and other sexual-health products. Lubricants broaden the company’s offering beyond barrier protection and can be supplied through both consumer and institutional channels.

• Medical supplies

  Medical and healthcare products

  Beyond sexual-wellness products, Karex has manufactured catheters, nitrile gloves, and ultrasound probe covers. These products use capabilities related to latex, elastomer, polymer, and medical-device production.

• 2026

  Reported Harmony Condoms licensing arrangementStrategy

  Background

  Global Protection Corp. sought to expand its licensed brand portfolio.

  Action taken

  The subsidiary reportedly secured exclusive licensing rights for Harmony Condoms from Pamco Brands.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement would add another licensed brand to the Karex-affiliated portfolio; the supplied reference provides no further operating details.

  Source

• 2023

  Launch ONE FlexProduct launch

  Background

  The ONE brand pursued product differentiation through new materials and condom design.

  Action taken

  ONE Condoms launched ONE Flex, described in the supplied reference as the first graphene-made condom.

  Aftermath

  The launch reinforced Karex’s association with specialty materials and sexual-wellness product innovation.

  Source

• 2020

  Resume manufacturing under reduced COVID-19 capacityStrategy

  Background

  Malaysia’s government lockdown halted production at Karex’s three Malaysian factories for more than a week during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Action taken

  Karex reopened after government permission, operating with approximately 50 percent of its workforce.

  Aftermath

  The reduced capacity created concern about pressure on the global condom supply chain and a possible shortage.

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire Pasante HealthcareM&A

  Background

  Karex aimed to strengthen its presence in the United Kingdom and broaden its branded sexual-health business.

  Action taken

  Karex Holdings acquired the entire stake in West Sussex-based Pasante Healthcare.

  Aftermath

  Pasante became part of Karex’s international brand and distribution portfolio.

  Acquisition price. £6 million (2016)

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire TheyFit intellectual propertyM&A

  Background

  Karex sought differentiated condom technology and a stronger position in the custom-fit segment.

  Action taken

  The company acquired TheyFit intellectual property and United States FDA approvals for selected products.

  Aftermath

  Global Protection Corp. managed the intellectual property and used selected sizes in the MyONE Custom Fit Condoms brand.

  Intellectual-property acquisition price. US$1.3 million (2016)

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire Line One Laboratories intellectual propertyM&A

  Background

  Karex continued building ownership of sexual-health trademarks and product technologies.

  Action taken

  Karex acquired Line One Laboratories’ intellectual-property rights, including rights related to Trustex and Fantasy.

  Aftermath

  The transaction expanded Karex’s branded condom portfolio and control of related trademarks and patents.

  Intellectual-property acquisition price. US$8 million (2016)

  Source

• 2014

  Acquire a controlling stake in Global Protection Corp.M&A

  Background

  Karex sought to expand from large-scale manufacturing into branded consumer sexual-health products and the United States market.

  Action taken

  The company acquired 55 percent of Global Protection Corp. and later acquired the remaining 30 percent stake through a transaction involving RM42.26 million and newly issued shares.

  Aftermath

  Global Protection Corp. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Karex Global Ltd., while Davin Wedel received new Karex shares and was reported to hold 7.64 percent of the enlarged company.

  Acquisition consideration and equity issuance. RM42.26 million plus 82.93 million newly issued shares (Subsequent acquisition of the remaining Global Protection Corp. stake)

  Source

1. 1Karexen.wikipedia.org