Biomedical Sciences Companies Expanding in Asia Invested More Than US$500 Million...

Biomedical Sciences Companies Expanding in Asia Invested More Than US$500
Million in Singapore

ATLANTA, May 18 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Global biomedical sciences companies
invested more than US$500 million in Singapore in the year 2008. This rides on
Singapore's strong scientific fundamentals, with biomedical sciences R&D
expenditure exceeding US$760 million in 2007.
The continued confidence in Singapore points to the city-state's
attractive investment environment, as companies look to the fast growing Asian
market to fuel their growth. As a leading bio-cluster in Asia, Singapore
provides access to global talent, world-class scientific and clinical
excellence, as well as excellent connectivity to key regional markets.
Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Executive Director, Biomedical Sciences, Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB) said: "Singapore is aggressively positioning
itself as a home for business, innovation and talent in Asia to be future-
ready. Our efforts will enable companies based in Singapore to innovate and
create value, thereby capturing the opportunities presented by Asia's growth."
Expanding Base of Research Investments
A growing base of more than 50 global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and
medical technology companies are carrying out R&D in Singapore, alongside 30
public-sector research and medical institutes.
Bayer has committed US$13 million to carry out R&D in Singapore, starting
with a US$2.3 million collaboration with the National University of Singapore
(NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine to conduct translational cancer
research,
which includes profiling oncology drugs in an Asian context.
Schering-Plough opened a 30,000 square-foot Translational Medicine
Research Centre (TMRC), which will support the company's global R&D programmes
by focusing on biomarker discovery and development. Schering-Plough's TMRC
will also be the company's focal point for non-invasive imaging for discovery
research and early clinical development.
In addition, companies are leveraging Singapore's central location for the
oversight and coordination of multi-centre, regional clinical trials. Takeda
announced its US$3 million regional clinical coordination centre, while
Quintiles doubled the size of its regional headquarters to an 80,000 square-
foot facility, which will house its Central Laboratory and Clinical
Development Services offices.
Commercialising Homegrown Innovation
On the home front, Singapore's biotech and research institutes
successfully concluded significant licensing agreements with international
partners.
S*BIO, for example, is entitled to receive more than US$600 million in
payment under two licensing agreements with Onyx and Tragara to develop
oncology drugs. S*BIO's agreement with Onyx will include the development of
SB1518, a JAK2 inhibitor that received orphan drug designation from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.
The Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) has attracted
investment from Sumitomo Corporation Asia and will be spun-off as Micropoint
Technologies to produce plastic microneedles, for painless injections and
extraction of bodily fluids, which can be mass produced.
The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) has also
announced licensing deals for its products:
-- Micro-Kit, an all-in-one device that allows for rapid, easy, affordable
tests for cancer, avian flu and other infectious diseases, licensed to
Dyamed Biotech
-- Virtual Reaction Chamber, affordable micro fluidics real time PCR
machine, licensed to MP Biomedicals under agreement with Exploit
Technologies

Singapore Draws High Value-Added, Complex Manufacturing
Asia's growth is not limited to its market opportunities. In recognition
of Asia's scientific excellence and capabilities, companies are establishing
higher value-added manufacturing activities into Singapore. This trend builds
on Singapore's advanced manufacturing capabilities as well as its expertise in
process development and automation technologies. Coupled with the island's
close proximity and excellent connectivity to Asian markets, the city-state
presents a choice location for complex manufacturing and the production of
innovative medicines and medical devices.
Lonza announced the decision to set up its first Asian cell-therapy
manufacturing plant in Singapore. This facility will initially manufacture
products for clinical trials, and will build up Singapore's capabilities as
one of Asia's leading sites for cell-therapy.
In addition, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently embarked on a US$67 million
upgrading project to improve the capability and flexibility of its Singapore
manufacturing plant, which is one of GSK's key global sites that manufacture
new pharmaceutical active ingredients. Coupled with its new R&D pilot plant
opened in 2008, this upgrading project will support the seamless development
and implementation of new processes from the R&D bench to full-scale
manufacturing.
Marking a new milestone in its successful 31-year partnership with
Singapore, Baxter Biosciences recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for a
biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant for biologics and recombinant therapy.
This facility is Singapore's sixth biologics manufacturing plant and will
produce ADVATE, which is one of the world's most chosen recombinant FVIII
therapies for hemophilia.
In response to the expanding base of biologics manufacturers in Singapore,
which include Baxter, Genentech, GSK, Lonza and Novartis, Millipore opened a
US$ 2 million regional biopharmaceutical manufacturing training facility.
In the field of micro-array, Singapore is emerging as a global leader with
Illumina's decision to set up its US$20 million global manufacturing site in
the city-state. Singapore accounts for more than half of the global
manufacturing capacity for micro-arrays, which is increasingly used in
biopharmaceutical research and diagnostics.
Yeoh said: "In 2008, Singapore's biomedical sciences sector contributed
US$13 billion in manufacturing output. With the continued investment from
global companies such as Baxter, Illumina and GlaxoSmithKline, we are
confident of achieving our target of US$17 billion in manufacturing output by
2015."
Developing Companies' Talent-Base in Singapore
During these challenging times, Singapore has launched programmes
specifically targeted at helping global businesses based in Singapore retain
and enhance their talent base. In January this year, the Singapore Government
announced a US$14 billion resilience package that includes the Jobs Credit
scheme and Economic Development Board's PREP-UP initiative. Under these
programmes, the Singapore Government will co-share the cost of wages and
training with companies to upgrade the skills of their technical and
engineering workforce, thus ensuring that they are fully prepared for the
eventual economic upturn.
About Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
EDB is the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to
enhance Singapore's position as a global business centre and grow the
Singapore economy. We dream, design and deliver solutions that create value
for investors and companies in Singapore. In so doing, we attract economic
opportunities and jobs for the people of Singapore, and help shape our
country's economic future.
For more information on how EDB can help in biomedical sciences business
and investment, please visit http://www.biomed-singapore.com .
For media enquiries, please contact Ruder Finn.

Kaele Stock
Senior Account Executive
Ruder Finn (New York)
Tel: +1-202-276-2471
Email: stockk@ruderfinn.com

Parveen Kaur
Senior Consultant
Ruder Finn Asia (Singapore)
Tel: +65-9327-8175
Email: kaurp@ruderfinnasia.com

SOURCE Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)

Kaele Stock of Ruder Finn (New York), +1-202-276-2471, stockk@ruderfinn.com;
Parveen Kaur of Ruder Finn Asia (Singapore), +65-9327-8175,
kaurp@ruderfinnasia.com, for Singapore Economic Development Board