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In this issue
APAC takes Centre stage in AI-Driven Drug Discovery
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is rapidly emerging as a leader in AI-driven drug discovery, fuelled by robust research ecosystems and strong industry collaboration. Substantial investments, cutting-edge technologies, and strategic partnerships are optimising drug development efficiency. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more embedded into many facets of everyday life, it has become an indispensable part of the drug discovery landscape. 2024 was the year of reckoning when AI in drug discovery received the highest validation—three researchers who leveraged the neural network AI programme AlphaFold to predict protein structures won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The industry is pushing ahead, using tech to make the business of drug development faster, safer, and more economical. Morgan Stanley estimates that AI's use in drug development could lead to 50 more successful treatments over a decade, potentially creating a $50 billion market.
Singapore launches Global Heat Health Information Network Southeast Asia Hub
The Heat Resilience & Performance Centre (HRPC) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has been officially designated as the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) Southeast Asia (SEA) Hub, a recognition that underscores its leading role in advancing heat resilience.
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1 min
China approves GSK's Nucala for treatment of adults with chronic rhinosinusitis
China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved GSK's Nucala (mepolizumab), a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-5 (IL-5), as an add-on therapy with intranasal corticosteroids for the treatment of adult patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSWNP) for whom therapy with systemic corticosteroids and/or surgery do not provide adequate disease control.

1 min
Japan gives nod to first subcutaneous immunoglobulin (fSCIG) therapy
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved the use of Takeda's HYQVIA [Immune Globulin Infusion 10 percent (Human) with Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase] in patients with agammaglobulinemia or hypogammaglobulinemia, disorders characterized by very low or absent levels of antibodies and an increased risk of serious recurring infection caused by primary immunodeficiency (PID) or secondary immunodeficiency (SID).
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1 min
UAE nears completion of National Health Survey
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a significant milestone in its national surveys project, with 95 percent completion rate for the National Health Survey and 78 percent for the National Nutrition Survey, marking a significant step toward building a robust health database.
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1 min
Merck strikes partnership worth $1.9 B with Chinese biotech Hansoh
Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, and Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, have entered into an exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535, an investigational preclinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist.

1 min
Innovent Biologics enters into billion-dollar oncology deal with Roche
China-based Innovent Biologics, Inc., a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic, autoimmune, ophthalmology and other major diseases, has announced a collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Swiss pharma firm Roche to advance the development of IBI3009, a novel DLL3-targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC) candidate.

1 min
Neuberg Diagnostics secures Rs 940 Cr from Kotak Alt
Neuberg Diagnostics has secured Rs 940 crore from Kotak Alt in the largest-ever primary fund-raise in the Indian diagnostics sector.
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1 min
Abu Dhabi announces AED 19 M in grants through Healthcare Research and Innovation Fund
The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, in partnership with the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma'an, the Abu Dhabi Government's dedicated platform that connects the government, private sector, and wider community to address key social priorities, has awarded over AED 19 million in grants through the Healthcare Research and Innovation Fund.

1 min
Fujirebio and Eisai to establish diagnostic technologies for neurodegenerative diseases
Fujirebio Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc., and Eisai Co., in Japan, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint research and social implementation of novel blood-based biomarkers in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.
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1 min
Lonza expands capsule manufacturing capacity in India and China
Lonza, a global manufacturing partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutraceutical markets, has announced capacity expansions at its sites in Rewari (India) and Suzhou (China).
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1 min
Bio-Thera Solutions & Tabuk Pharma to commercialise Stelara biosimilar in Saudi Arabia
China-based Bio-Thera Solutions Inc.,
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1 min
AbbVie Biopharma strengthens digital strategies for clinical trials in Taiwan
National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH Taiwan Branch (AbbVie) have signed a cooperation agreement, with the agreement jointly signed by President Ming-Shiang Wu of NTUH and General Manager Richard Sun of AbbVie.

1 min
Primo Biotech partners with SHINE Technologies to advance precision cancer care in APAC
Taiwan-based startup Primo Biotechnology has announced a strategic partnership with US-based SHINE Technologies, LLC, a global leader in nuclear medicine production.
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1 min
Alebund Pharmaceuticals announces first closing of RMB 550 M in Series C financing
Shanghai-based Alebund Pharmaceuticals, an integrated biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative therapies for renal diseases and related chronic conditions, has announced the closing of RMB 550 million in Series C financing.

1 min
RNT Health Insights receives 2nd US FDA BDD for oesophageal cancer detection tool
RNT Health Insights, an Indian health-tech startup specialising in AI-assisted diagnostic solutions for the accurate detection of pathologies during endoscopic procedures, has been granted its second US FDA Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD) for its Oesophageal Cancer detection tool.

1 min
PAHO launches interactive dashboard to monitor avian influenza in the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched an interactive dashboard to monitor avian influenza A(H5N1) cases in the Americas.

1 min
Gavi facilitates donations of mpox vaccine doses, with first delivery to Nigeria
A shipment of 11,200 doses, donated by the United States of America and facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, were recently shipped to Abuja, Nigeria.
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1 min
US FDA issues draft guidance for developers of AI-enabled medical devices
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance that includes recommendations to support development and marketing of safe and effective artificial intelligence (AI)enabled devices throughout the device's Total Product Life Cycle.
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1 min
UK declares biggest investment of £126 M into hospices
The biggest investment in a generation for hospices has been announced by the UK government, ensuring that hospices can continue to deliver the highest quality end-of-life care possible for their patients, families, and loved ones.

1 min
APAC takes Centre stage in Al-Driven Drug Discovery
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is rapidly emerging as a leader in Al-driven drug discovery, fuelled by robust research ecosystems and strong industry collaboration.
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10+ mins
"China and Asia are already the global leaders of Antibody-drug conjugates"
Chime Biologics, based in Asia, has positioned itself as a global leader in the Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) sector.
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4 mins
"There is a need for pharmaceutical companies to build HCP relationships, backed by scientific credibility"
Docquity, headquartered in Singapore, is Southeast Asia's largest professional network for verified healthcare professionals (HCPs), connecting over 410,000 doctors across the region.
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4 mins
"There remains a high unmet need for new & alternative treatment options for prurigo nodularis & atopic dermatitis"
Asia-Pacific region houses some of Galderma's fastest growing markets, where sales have fueled a strong performance.

5 mins
"Demand for skilled medtech professionals in the Asia Pacific region is growing rapidly"
2024 saw Japanese medtech firm Olympus receiving approval for the company's first cloud-based AI endoscopy devices in the US and Europe, marking a significant milestone in Olympus' efforts to enhance clinical outcomes and operational efficiency in endoscopy, paving the way to launch its upcoming endoscopy solution, the “Intelligent Endoscopy Ecosystem”.

5 mins
Middle East: A rising powerhouse in Medtech and Diagnostics.
The Middle East's medtech and diagnostics sector is undergoing a dynamic transformation, fuelled by rapid technological advancements and strategic healthcare investments.
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5 mins
When Clinical Trials Suffer From 'Complicated' Interactions
Diversity in culture, language, and data gathering methods will further increase the difficulty of clinical trials as they become more international, particularly with the growing number of sites being employed across China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

5 mins
IIT-B joins hands with Tohoku University to offer MTech, PhD dual degree programmes
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan's Tohoku University to launch the IIT Bombay-Tohoku University Joint Academic & Research Programme.

1 min
Universities in China & Pakistan ink MoU for advanced research in health sciences
The School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China, and the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration in cutting-edge scientific research and academic exchange.
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1 min
Singapore appoints Tan Chong Meng as Chairman of National University Health System
The Minister for Health has appointed Tan Chong Meng as the Chairman of the Board of the National University Health System (NUHS) from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027.

1 min
Dr Krishna M Ella receives prestigious INSA India fellowship
Dr Krishna Ella, a distinguished scientist, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech International, has been recognised with the prestigious India Fellowship of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) for the year 2025, for his contributions to new knowledge, discoveries, development of new vaccine technologies, noteworthy improvement in existing technologies.

1 min
BeiGene names Giancarlo Benelli as Head of Europe biz
BeiGene, a Hong Kong-headquartered oncology company that intends to change its name to BeOne Medicines Ltd., has announced the appointment of Giancarlo Benelli as Senior Vice President and Head of Europe, effective January 1.

1 min
Julia Wang steps in as Executive Vice President and CFO at Labcorp
Labcorp, a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, has announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Glenn Eisenberg has retired from the company and Julia Wang has joined this position.

1 min
Prof. Christian Wolfrum to join NTU as Deputy President and Provost
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has announced that Professor Christian Wolfrum, an eminent biomedical scientist, will be joining the University as the next Deputy President and Provost.
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1 min
Singapore boosts chemotherapy uptake in breast cancer treatment with localised magnetic fields
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a non-invasive method to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy while reducing its harmful side effects.

1 min
Korea develops innovative injectable adhesive hydrogel for bone regeneration
A research team from South Korea-based Pohang University of Science and Technology or POSTECH's Department of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, along with the Department of Chemical Engineering, has developed an innovative injectable adhesive hydrogel for bone regeneration.
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1 min
Japan suggests addition of PVA into drugs for strong antitumour activity
Treatment for more advanced and difficult-to-treat head and neck cancers can be improved with the addition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), the same ingredient used in children's glue.
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1 min
Australia manufactures 3D printed scaffolding to rebuild jaw bones
Clinicians have successfully used custom-made 3D printed bone scaffolds, printed on-site at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia, to rebuild part of a man's jawbone.

1 min
Bruker launches infrared imaging microscope for pharma and life science research
US-based Bruker Corporation has announced the launch of the LUMOS II ILIM, a quantum cascade laser (QCL) based infrared (IR) imaging microscope.
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1 min
Qiagen increases QIAcuity digital PCR high-order multiplexing capabilities
Qiagen has announced a significant increase in the powerful capabilities of its QIAcuity Digital PCR (dPCR) system with a more than two-fold increase in the number of targets that can be simultaneously analysed from a single biological sample.
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1 min
Bio-Techne and Waters ink comarketing agreement for biotherapeutic characterisation
American life sciences company Bio-Techne Corporation, a leader in automated platforms for biotherapeutic characterization, has announced a co-marketing and co-promotion agreement with Waters Corporation aimed at expanding the reach of advanced biotherapeutic characterization and development processes.
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1 min
BioSpectrum Asia Magazine Description:
Publisher: MM Activ Sci-Tech Communication
Category: Business
Language: English
Frequency: Monthly
BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a monthly magazine published by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communication in India. It is a leading biotechnology magazine in Asia, covering a wide range of topics related to the biotechnology industry, including:
* Biotechnology news and trends: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology news and trends from India and around the world.
* Biotechnology company profiles and interviews: The magazine profiles leading biotechnology companies in Asia and interviews their CEOs and other top executives.
* Biotechnology research and development: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology research and development from academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies.
* Biotechnology product reviews: The magazine reviews the latest biotechnology products and services.
* Biotechnology industry events: BioSpectrum Asia covers biotechnology industry events from around the world.
BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a must-read for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest advances in biotechnology and their potential to impact the world around us.
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