Business
BioSpectrum Asia
WHO urges cost effective solutions on NCDs and mental health
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new report titled \"Saving lives, spending less\", revealing that an additional investment of just $3 per person annually in tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) could yield economic benefits of up to $1 trillion by 2030.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
India Introduces Stricter Cosmeceutical Rules to Tackle Counterfeit Products
A huge craze among consumers for cosmeceuticals, by going into marketing and brand appeal, is setting a dangerous precedent. Above all, fake cosmetic products have flooded the Indian market, which are easily available online and across street markets. Keeping this in mind and to stop unscrupulous ads, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has officially published the Cosmetics (Amendment) Rules, 2025, on July 29, which introduce a series of changes to the existing Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Experts weigh in on how this Act can be a gamechanger in the cosmeceutical sector, provided strict norms are followed.
6 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Shimadzu launches Gas Chromatograph FluxEdge GC System
Japan-based Shimadzu has released the FluxEdge GC System, equipped with FluxEdge, its proprietary trace gas sampling/switching technology.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
AIU and Acumen join hands to transform India-Japan higher education collaboration
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Acumen, part of the Sannam S4 Group, have announced the formalisation of a pivotal strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to significantly accelerate the internationalisation of Indian higher education sector, to provide new international study options for Indian students and to create meaningful graduate career outcomes in Japan.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
PHC Holdings inks MoU to transfer Eversense CGM distribution to Senseonics
Japan-based PHC Holdings Corporation and its subsidiary Ascensia Diabetes Care, a global diabetes care company, have announced that Ascensia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transfer the commercial operations for Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems to Eversense maker Senseonics Holdings, Inc.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
CSL partners with VarmX on first-in-class coagulation treatment in $2.2 B deal
Australia's CSL Limited has entered into an agreement with privately held Dutch biotech company, VarmX BV, to develop a new treatment to restore blood coagulation in patients taking a FXa inhibitor.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
University of Sydney partners with Siemens Healthineers for MRI research capability
Australia's University of Sydney has unveiled a $9 million partnership with Siemens Healthineers centred on the opening of the state's most advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Malaysia and Singapore sign MoU to fast-track medical device market access
The Medical Device Authority (MDA) of Malaysia and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen regulatory cooperation and officially launched a 6-month pilot of the Medical Device Regulatory Reliance Programme as part of the MoU.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Stryker expands R&D footprint in India with new facility in Bengaluru
US-based Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has announced the expansion of its R&D presence in India with the opening of a new facility in Bengaluru, India.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Abbott receives regulatory approval for first denosumab biosimilar in Thailand
Abbott has received regulatory approval for the first denosumab biosimilar in Thailand, expanding access to advanced therapies for osteoporosis and cancer-related bone loss.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Mabwell and Aditum Bio ink $1 B deal for siRNA cardiovascular therapies
Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience and US-based Aditum Bio have announced the launch of Kalexo Bio, a new company formed in conjunction with an exclusive global license agreement to develop 2MW7141, a novel dual-target siRNA candidate for lipid management in patients with dyslipidemia and for the prevention of high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
'AI holds enormous promise to aid clinicians in making informed decisions among many different treatment pathways'
In July 2025, the FDA approved the Oncomine Dx Express Test, a next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The firm is now seeking approval in Japan, where cancer is the leading cause of death, with over one million new cases diagnosed annually. Thermo Fisher Scientific has submitted a medical device manufacturing and marketing approval application to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the Oncomine Dx Express Test Multi-CDx System, which automates the entire diagnostic workflow and delivers results in as little as 24 hours. Designed for rapid, high-precision diagnostics in breast cancer and solid tumours, the system aims to personalise care and accelerate treatment decisions. Jane Li, Senior Director of Pharma CDx and CRO Partnerships, Clinical Sequencing, discusses how the new system advances on the earlier test, trends in pharma-diagnostic collaborations globally and in Asia, key challenges in scaling NGS adoption, and the role of automation and AI in shaping the future of personalised medicine. Edited excerpts:
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Navigating Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Regulatory Hurdles in CAR T-CELL THERAPY GROWTH
CAR T-cell therapy is a highly personalised treatment that depends on a unique and complex manufacturing and delivery process to reach patients quickly and reliably. From leukapheresis to final product delivery, the process is continuous and timesensitive, posing significant operational challenges. How is the industry addressing them, and what steps are needed to build a sustainable manufacturing ecosystem? Let's dig deeper.
10 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
How AI Is Accelerating Drug Repurposing & Therapeutic Innovation in India
With India facing increasing disease burdens and deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure, AI is becoming a driving force for quicker, more intelligent therapeutic advancements. Indian startups and institutions are making significant contributions through drug repurposing, enhancing diagnostics, genomics, and clinical research.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
How Asia is Pioneering LONGEVITY BIOTECH
Ageing is fast emerging as a focus area in Asia, with 2025 witnessing a flurry of activity across startups, research initiatives, and investment. As the region positions itself in the longevity biotech space, the key question is what drivers and initiatives are shaping its growth and what it will take to build a globally competitive ecosystem. Let's find out.
7 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
US PLUGS CHINESE PHARMA COLLABS
While several countries, including India and Japan, have faced prolonged trade frictions with the US over tariffs, the contest with China extends beyond tariffs into a second, more strategic front in the pharmaceutical sector. Here, the tussle is not only about trade tariffs but also about the deepening collaborations between US pharma giants and Chinese drugmakers. In recent years, several multinational companies have turned to China in search of the next wave of blockbuster drugs, drawn by the country’s rapid advances in R&D and its mature supply chain.
2 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Middle East Leverages AI for Real Gains
The Middle East is not only investing in digital healthcare, but building around it. From national health strategies to growing startup hubs, the region is turning infrastructure gaps into launch pads. With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2 per cent, the Middle East's digital healthcare market is poised to reach $7.9 billion by 2028. Moreover, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now launched a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening its position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. But there are certain barriers affecting technology adoption and startup scale-up in the region. Let's look into this in detail.
7 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Collaborative R&D: Partnerships shaping the future of biopharma
Biotechs and pharma companies face rising costs of drug development, depleting R&D pipelines and diminishing returns on investment. By joining forces and exploring collaborative R&D partnerships it is possible to overcome these challenges. In addition to sharing risks, they share the potential rewards when their assets move further into clinical development or come to the market.
2 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Quantum Computing: Future of diagnostics is being coded today
A silent revolution is being built at the intersection of biology and quantum physics. After decades of pushing the boundaries of diagnostics with advanced imaging and AI, we are now approaching a hard computational wall. For complex conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and many cancers, the interacting variables of genomics, proteomics, and real-world patient data are simply too vast for classical computers to master. This limitation caps the ability to move from merely spotting correlations to uncovering true causation. Unlike traditional AI, quantum computing can simulate underlying physical systems to derive precise solutions. The transition from correlational analysis to causal simulation will enable a more valuable and advanced frontier in diagnostics.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
First Pacific woman to serve as public health director in NZ
The Ministry of Health in New Zealand (NZ) has appointed Dr Corina Grey as the new Director of Public Health this year, a landmark appointment for Pacific leadership.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Bio-Rad appoints Rajat Mehta as Executive Vice President of Global Commercial Operations
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a global leader in life science research and clinical diagnostics products, has announced the appointment of Rajat Mehta as its new Executive Vice President, Global Commercial Operations, effective August 4, 2025.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Hugel launches botulinum toxin Letybo in Malaysia
South Korea-based Hugel Inc., a leading global medical aesthetics company, has officially launched its botulinum toxin product Letybo in Malaysia - an emerging market for medical aesthetics in Southeast Asia.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Australia designs smart wound monitor to improve chronic infection care
Researchers from Australia's RMIT University have developed a wearable wound monitoring device with integrated sensors that could reduce infection risks by minimising the need for frequent physical contact.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Revvity unveils innovative reagent technology to accelerate therapeutics development
US-based Revvity, Inc. has announced the launch of pHSense reagents, a powerful technology designed to advance internalisation studies in drug discovery.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Sanofi acquires next-gen vaccine biotech Vicebio for $1.6 B
Vicebio, a biopharmaceutical company with operations in Australia, UK and Belgium, has entered an exclusive, definitive agreement to be acquired by Sanofi.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
HOSMAC signs MoU with Gulf Medical University to strengthen healthcare education
HOSMAC, Asia's leading hospital planning, design, and management consultancy, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, UAE, to serve as an industry partner.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Jessica Cowden takes charge as Deputy Director General of CARE unit at IVI
Dr Jessica Cowden has been appointed Deputy Director General of the Clinical, Assessment, Regulatory, Evaluation (CARE) unit at South Korea-headquartered International Vaccine Institute (IVI). She will continue to be based at IVI's Europe Regional Office in Stockholm, Sweden.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Jeong Eun Kyeong steps in as Minister of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Jeong Eun Kyeong, a South Korean infectious disease and public health expert, has been appointed to serve as the Minister of Health and Welfare.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
India builds nanosensor to detect deadly infections in minutes
A team of scientists at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut in India has developed a new highly sensitive, low-cost, point-of-care device with an electrochemical biosensor that could help early diagnosis of sepsis at the bedside of the patient.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Sep 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
DKSH acquires Eppendorf's direct presence in Thailand
DKSH has signed an agreement to acquire Eppendorf's direct business in Thailand.
1 min |