Sexual HealthPharma And Biotech Companies Plug Into Singapore's Integrated Research Network
Leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies are drawing on Singapore"s
integrated network of public-sector and academic institutes to enhance their
R&D productivity, leverage academic insights and diversify risks. Located at
the heart of Asia with a population base that is representative of key Asian
ethnic groups, Singapore provides a home-base of innovation for companies to
test and develop new solutions for Asia and beyond.
Recent announcements of public-private partnerships (PPP) include
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals committing US$1.3 million in vaccine and process
development with Singapore"s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI); Lilly
Singapore Centre for Drug Discovery (LSCDD) teaming up with Singapore"s
National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), and the Singapore Institute for
Clinical Sciences (SICS) to advance drug discovery using adult brain tumor
stem cells.
AstraZeneca announced its collaboration with the National Cancer Centre
Singapore (NCCS) and the National University Hospital (NUH) in pre-clinical
and clinical development activities of anti-cancer compounds to build up
AstraZeneca"s drug development capabilities in Asia; Singapore Immunology
Network (SIgN) partnered European biotechs - Humalys SAS and Cytos
Biotechnology Ltd - to develop antibodies for combating and managing viruses
prevalent in Asia including hand, foot and mouth disease.
Massachusetts-based biotech, FORMA Therapeutics, has also set up its
first overseas lab in Singapore"s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). An
emerging biotech company, Forma seeks to integrate important new advances
in biology and chemistry to unlock the best targets and pathways that genomic
medicine has revealed. FORMA will be collaborating with the Experimental
Therapeutics Centre of Singapore (ETC) to co-discover novel therapeutics.
"There is no doubt Asia will soon be the next centre of gravity for the
global pharma industry. While the diverse Asian market presents tremendous
opportunities, it remains challenging to navigate the region"s complexities
and harness its opportunities. Singapore provides one of the best locations
in Asia, which would enable us to conduct our targeted research, collaborate
with public institutions and tap into regional capabilities to supplement our
activities," said Dr Steven Tregay, Chief Executive Officer, FORMA
Therapeutics.
Public-Sector Res Allow for End-to-End Research Activities
As companies worldwide seek to develop new therapies and diagnostics to
expand their pipeline of innovative products, PPPs represent an effective way
for companies to enhance their R&D productivity and accelerate
commercialisation efforts.
Singapore"s advanced research infrastructure, base of more than 2,800
public sector researchers and business-friendly economic policies are
fuelling the rapid growth of PPPs in biomedical sciences. Companies may
leverage on Singapore"s extensive res and cross-institutional
capabilities to handle complex bench-to-bed and bed-to-bench translational
projects. These res include dedicated clinical bio-imaging research,
bio-safety, and early-phase trial facilities. Companies can also tap into the
preclinical predictive disease models and platform technologies in genomics
and bio-imaging available in Singapore.
Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Executive Director, Biomedical Sciences, Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB) said: "The EDB provides a one-stop shop to
link companies to our integrated network of public-sector research and
medical institutes. Singapore is also strategically located at the heart of
Asia, which makes us an ideal control tower to oversee R&D activities across
the heterogeneous landscape in Asia, especially in translational medicine and
Asian diseases. Coupled with our pro-business policies and focused efforts to
be future-ready, Singapore is well-positioned to be a strategic research
partner for the industry and a home-base for innovation in Asia."
Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)