CATEGORIES

The Dragon beckons big pharma

Big pharma continues its fascination with China. The latest big pharma firm to push deeper into the country is the US based Pfizer, with its $200 million acquisition of CStone, a firm focused on cancer therapies. Most big pharma firms such as Amgen, USA and AstraZeneca, UK who have historically focused on mature markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe, are now eyeing China. Let’s explore this shift and what it means for the Chinese pharma industry.

APAC's 5G ambitions in Healthcare

The surge in virtual healthcare has prompted physicians globally to engage in co-sharing their medical space and expertise. And Internet-of-Things (IoT) is driving next-generation smart healthcare. Boosted by advances in robotics, IoT and Artificial Intelligence, healthcare organisations across the globe have started using 5G network that promises to provide essential levels of connectivity to enable a new health ecosystem, which will align with a relatively recent idea known as 4P medicine—that is, it will be predictive, preventative, personalised and participatory, as noted by PwC.

India Develops Viral Sequence Predictor To Counter Covid-19

Researchers at the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTR), Kolkata, India have developed a web-based COVID- Predictor to predict the sequence of viruses online on the basis of machine learning and analyzed 566 Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomes to find the genetic variability in terms of point mutation and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP).

China Leads The Coronavirus Vaccine Race

Of the nine leading candidate that are under Phase III trial for the novel coronavirus in the world, five are from China- a most from any country. China has emerged as a leader in the novel coronavirus vaccines, a development that will enhance it as a global power but also raises concerns over safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Let’s look into the pros and cons of its leadership in the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Indian companies are moving from API manufacturing to Formulations”

The COVID-19 pandemic has unlocked several opportunities for the life sciences sector in India. And in response to this, the sector has taken the right plunge. KPMG’s new report on ‘Site selection for life sciences in Asia’ reveals the true potential has India possess. In an interview, Sanjay Singh, Partner – Deal Advisory, Head of Lifesciences, KPMG, India expounds on the key findings of this study and shares insights on key market drivers. Edited excerpts;

‘‘We are planning to deliver products with better efficiency for APAC customers''

Francis Van Parys, Vice President Commercial, Asia Pacific, Cytiva, South Korea

E-PHARMACIES IN INDIA, MUCH MORE THAN COMMERCE

Amazon, Reliance and Flipkart v/s the others… The question is who will win? Will this pitting of wits drive new innovations in healthcare delivery and add value to customers?

“We are committed to fast-tracking innovation and transformative care to patients”

Thomas Willemsen, Senior Vice President, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, APAC, Singapore

Securing India's pharma industry from Cyber Risk

Increasing production in pharma manufacturing implies a higher convergence of IT and OT systems. While convergence between IT and OT brings about efficiency, it also expands the attacks surface. The only way to make this work safely is to have a unified, risk-based view of the IT and OT environments.

“We are investing in larger cleanrooms, better QA vision systems, and more technical expertise”

Oliver Healthcare Packaging, one of the leading providers of sterile barrier flexible packaging for the global healthcare industry, emphasize on custom engineered design of Sterile Barrier System (SBS) to meet medical innovations and packaging technologies. Oliver Healthcare with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, expanding global SBS manufacturing footprint to Asian market. Mike Benevento, President & CEO, Oliver Healthcare Packaging, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, further elaborates on the critical role of SBS and its significance as integral part of Asia Pacific (APAC) MedTech industry. Edited excerpts;

Connecting the Dots

As the coronavirus pandemic rages across the globe, compounded by lockdowns, quarantine, and social distancing measures, many are turning to digital health.

Time To Look For 2nd Gen Vaccines

Most pharmaceutical companies, across the world, are working at a breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Some companies are concerned that these vaccines may not be particularly effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in the long-term. This has evoked the need in them to develop improved, next-generation vaccines against the novel coronavirus. BioSpectrum discusses this next phase of vaccine development and if it’s too early to think about the second generation when we don’t even have the first ready yet.

Simulating Technology Solutions To Fight Covid-19

Use of engineering simulation technology is common in the global healthcare industry. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) & European regulatory agencies are encouraging the healthcare companies to use Computer Modeling & Simulation (CM&S) to aid the approval process for medical devices and achieve quality by design in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

“Value of research conducted within academic institutions will be better appreciated in future”

Founded in 2009, Melbourne-based Affinity Biosciences, whose key focus is on discovering antibodies for cancer therapeutics, is now working on antibodies for COVID-19.

“We are speeding up distribution of IFN-β-1a in Singapore for COVID-19 management”

One of the first companies to partner with Gilead to manufacture remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment, Singapore headquartered SRS Life Sciences is currently working on multiple projects to combat this pandemic. Suchet Rastogi, Chief Executive Officer, SRS Life Sciences spoke to BioSpectrum Asia and revealed the major steps being taken by the company currently. Edited excerpts;

WHO on the centre stage

The COVID-19 pandemic, with Wuhan in China as its epicenter has wreaked havoc worldwide on a monumental scale. Nations of the world were caught unawares and so was the World Health Organization (WHO). It would seem that this globally active organization has not been able to lead the world in response to the pandemic. While some countries have been trying to fight and contain the spread on their own terms, many countries rely on the WHO for its experience in handling pandemics in the past. The United States of America, and particularly President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the WHO. We will take a look at how the global organization has handled previous epidemics and whether its criticism is warranted.

LianBio – accelerating availability of paradigm-shifting medicines for Asian markets

New and dynamic companies are being formed to bridge the gap between global innovation and the China market and accelerate access to innovative new drugs from the US, Europe and elsewhere that address unmet patient needs. LianBio from China is one such company having mission to provide access to the best science-driven therapeutic discoveries to patients in China and major Asian markets.

Invest in building agile supply chains

The current pandemic has significantly disrupted the global economy, not to mention business continuity for many companies.

INDIAN PHARMA PRODUCING COVID - 19 DRUGS FOR MASSES

Known for its expertise in manufacturing and supplying quality generic drugs, Indian pharma sector is currently using the generic tool as a critical arsenal in the fight against COVID–19. At present, there are around 25 different drugs brands available in the Indian market to treat the COVID-19 patients, with many more in the pipeline.

Intellectual Property in doldrums

Governments around the globe have been waiving common Intellectual Property (IP) laws for the treatment of COVID-19, which has adversely impacted the world. This has become a matter of concern for pharmaceutical firms, who are fiercely protective of their IP. BioSpectrum Asia delves into IP during the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on pharma innovation.

BIO Asia–Taiwan 2020: 1,400 delegates, 450 exhibitors take part in 5-day event

As the world is facing the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19, biomedical companies, emerging startups, MNC’s are being cooperative and rallying together to accelerate the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccine to fight the global and regional healthcare crisis.

Pharma Stands United Against COVID-19

This is perhaps the first time in the history of the pharmaceutical industry that the major rivals have joined hands against COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, which has engulfed the entire world. Various stakeholders have come together to contain the spread of the virus. There are more than 30 partnerships (13 with Asian firms) at present between various patrons across the globe, in a race to find a cure for the virus. Could these collaborations change the future of the pharma industry? Let’s find out.

“Covid-19 Highlighted The Limitations Of Our Current Healthcare Infrastructure”

COVID-19 has exposed the inadequacies in the healthcare industry, which is now evolving through vigorous transformation. The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is embracing digital transformation in the healthcare ecosystem. According to a 2020 report by Bain & Company, the APAC region is set to represent more than 40 per cent of growth in global healthcare spending over the next decade, expanding at a rate almost double than that of the rest of the world. This also means that APAC stakeholders have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the region’s healthcare landscape through collaboration and networking tools. Dirk Dumortier, Head of Business Development, Smart City and Healthcare (Asia Pacific) at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Singapore, shared his views with BioSpectrum Asia about the new framework for healthcare delivery. Edited excerpts;

“APAC, post-COVID-19, will see an explosion of innovation in digital health”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic plaguing countries worldwide has created unprecedented change for the global economy, especially healthcare institutions at the forefront. Hospitals across the world are facing never before seen challenges that have accelerated the development of technological innovations. As we navigate the complexities of the virus and the amount of disruption it has brought about, one thing is certain – COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future. It’s time to focus on this new reality and how we can achieve a sense of normalcy. Dr. Ian Chuang, who is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Elsevier shares his insights on how the healthcare ecosystem can prepare for the ‘new normal’ in a post-COVID-19 world. Edited excerpts;

Time for Asian pharma to up their AI game

The excitement around Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) potential to transform the drug discovery process has been building up in the biopharma industry. AI-drug discovery startups have boomed in the last decade and billions of dollars have already been poured on the promise of an efficient and agile drug discovery process.

Merck opens largest M Lab collaboration center in Shanghai

Merck, a leading science and technology company, opened its M Lab Collaboration Center in Shanghai, the company’s largest of nine centers worldwide.

Defining moment for digital transformation of healthcare

The healthcare industry continues to grapple with rising cases of COVID-19 globally. It has been inspiring by how the healthcare community has come together to combat the pandemic with unwavering commitment, quickly adapting and taking full advantage of the technologies at hand to care for their patients. COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change, accelerating digital transformation in many areas healthcare. This starts at the very beginning of the patient pathway, with precision diagnosis, the compass for effective treatment.

“Australia has limited access to testing facilities on live virus for development purposes”

Australia based biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization Luina Bio has recently partnered with XING Technologies in Brisbane to co-develop and manufacture a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic kit. The COVID-19 detection technology is based on a temperature-stable molecule utilizing Xing patented technology. With a total investment of A$ 12 million so far for the development of this product, Luina Bio is gearing up efforts to fight this pandemic. Les Tillack, Chief Executive Officer, Luina Bio recently spoke to BioSpectrum Asia on how the startup is driving various initiatives against COVID-19. Edited excerpts;

Investing to control infectious diseases for future generations

Be it the Ebola epidemic in 2013 or the Zika outbreak in 2015 or more recently the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases are on the rise. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that infectious diseases kill more than 17 million people a year. 22 new diseases have emerged in the last 30 years. According to the vital signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), illnesses from mosquito, tick and flea bites have tripled during the 13 years from 2004 through 2016. What can be done to prevent and manage the infectious diseases? Let’s find out.

“Emerging evidence reports saliva sampling is sensitive than nasopharyngeal swabs”

The use of saliva to test for COVID-19 is being considered an important step by the health authorities as Singapore ramps up its testing capacity. Molecular diagnostic startup Lucence is supporting this initiative with its newly developed saliva testing kit. BioSpectrum Asia reached out to Dr. Tan Min-Han, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, Lucence, Singapore to find out more about the company’s contributions. Edited excerpts;