BioSpectrum Asia - December 2022

In this issue

BioSpectrum Asia Excellence Awards 2022
Asia has, indeed, become the new hub for potential growth and innovation, with no signs of losing steam. To appreciate the Asian companies and individuals for their commendable performance and achievements during Calendar Year (CY) 2021, BioSpectrum Asia Excellence Awards 2022 ceremony was held at Lavender Ball Room, Hotel Fort Canning in Singapore on December 2, 2022. These awards are an extension to observe and highlight the winners in the long battle to tackle the world’s emerging health problems and find solutions. Since 2020 and 2021 were majorly affected by COVID-19, we saw the industry players relentlessly working towards developing novel solutions in the form of diagnostic tests, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, drugs etc. to fight the emergency.

Hugel's Letybo from Korea obtains marketing approval in Australia

Hugel, a South Korea-based medical aesthetics company, has obtained marketing approval for 50 and 100 units of its botulinum toxin called ‘Letybo’ for the indication of glabellar lines from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.

1 min

India announces launch of Bengaluru Science & Technology Cluster

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Sood recently launched Bengaluru Science & Technology Cluster (BeST).

1 min

New Zealand provides snapshot of nation's health with new survey results

The annual New Zealand Health Survey results provide valuable information about the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

1 min

Brunei's Ministry of Health opens intelligence hub in Jerudong

The Ministry of Health (MoH), Brunei Darussalam and Singapore-based EVYD Technology have announced the official opening of the MoH Intelligence Hub at EVYD Campus in Jerudong.

1 min

CSIRO partnership helps connect Australian healthcare system

The Australian Digital Health Agency and Australia’s national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)’s

1 min

Astellas invests $50M to support gene therapy programmes of Taysha

Japan-based Astellas Pharma Inc. and Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc. have announced a strategic investment to support the advancement of Taysha’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy development programmes for the treatment of Rett syndrome and Giant Axonal Neuropathy (GAN).

1 min

GSK launches S$44M HPF in Singapore for cancer treatment

The global biopharma company GSK plc has launched a new, S$44 million high potency facility (HPF) in its strategic New Product Introduction site in Jurong, Singapore.

1 min

XtalPi, CK Life Sciences announce AIempowered tumour vaccine R&D in China

Chinese firm XtalPi is embarking on a strategic collaboration with CK Life Sciences, a member of the CK Hutchison Group.

1 min

Medtronic launches Customer eXperience Center in Singapore

Medtronic plc, a global leader in healthcare technology, has launched the Medtronic Customer eXperience Center (MCXC) in Singapore, leveraging innovative healthcare technologies across extended reality (XR), augmented and virtual realities, and robotics, to connect the global healthcare community from anywhere, at any time.

1 min

QPS opens new preclinical research facility in Taiwan

QPS, a global contract research organisation headquartered in the US, has opened a second preclinical research facility in Taipei, Taiwan.

1 min

Boston Scientific expands operations in Malaysia

Boston Scientific Corporation, a global leader in medical device technology, has unveiled a new expansion of its operations in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia.

1 min

ANDHealth, LaunchVic launch Digital Health Accelerator in Australia

ANDHealth, Australia’s leading digital health commercialisation organisation, has successfully secured $1.4 million in funding from LaunchVic to establish a novel accelerator programme for high growth potential digital health startups.

1 min

MIRXES announces Southeast Asia's first business and clinical advisory programme

MiRXES, a Singapore-headquartered biotechnology startup focused on saving lives and improving health economics and outcomes through RNA-powered disease early detection and precision genomic tests, has launched the first edition of MiRXES Translator Programme,

1 min

Qmed Asia eyes APAC expansion with digital health solutions

Malaysian startup Qmed Asia has announced regional expansion into Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia to introduce value-added services to healthcare segments and patients in the form of innovative digital health solutions that are accessible, affordable, and reliable.

1 min

Lunit accelerates AI-powered medical imaging across major overseas channels

South Korea-based startup Lunit has signed a global distribution agreement with Indian firm CARPL.ai, an end-to-end healthcare technology platform that enables the development, validation, and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across clinical workflows.

1 min

RVAC Medicines, A*STAR to build capabilities for mRNA production in Singapore

RVAC Medicines, a messenger RNA (mRNA) technology platform startup incubated by CBC Group, a healthcare-dedicated asset management firm headquartered in Singapore, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have announced the signing of a master research collaboration agreement to jointly study and develop solutions to build mRNA manufacturing and analytics capabilities in Singapore.

1 min

New Dutch Global Health Strategy calls for stronger cooperation

The Netherlands discussed its new strategy for Global Health with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and called for deeper coordination with the organisation to improve global health – aiming to strengthen health systems at home and worldwide, better prepare for pandemics and address the impact of climate change on public health.

1 min

Improved provision of mental health services to benefit Lithuanian youth

Strengthened governance and delivery of mental health services will improve the well-being of young people in Lithuania, according to a new World Bank report.

1 min

Tackling emerging antimalarial drug resistance in Africa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new strategy to respond to the urgent problem of antimalarial drug resistance in Africa.

1 min

Global health agencies support Uganda against outbreak of Ebolavirus disease

Following the declaration of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda on September 20, 2022, the outbreak has now spread to seven districts (Kasanda, Kyegegwa, Bunyangabu and Kagadi districts beyond the original epicentre in Mubende district, and then to Kampala City and Wakiso).

1 min

Oral cholera vaccine receives manufacturing push for African & global markets

South Africa based biopharmaceutical company Biovac has concluded a ground-breaking licensing and technology transfer agreement with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a non-profit international organisation headquartered in South Korea, for the manufacture of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV).

1 min

WHO inks new MoU on health workforce priorities

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the five members of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), World Dental Federation (FDI),

1 min

WHO to identify pathogens likely to cause future outbreaks and pandemics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is launching a global scientific process to update the list of priority pathogens, agents that can cause outbreaks or pandemics, to guide global investment, research and development (R&D), especially in vaccines, tests and treatments.

1 min

Quadripartite launches new platform to tackle AMR threat to human, animal health

The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform has been launched to ensure the growing threats and impacts of antimicrobial resistance are addressed globally.

1 min

BioSpectrum Asia Honours Industry Stalwarts

Asia has, indeed, become the new hub for potential growth and innovation, with no signs of losing steam.

5 mins

An International Leader in Vaccinology

With an extensive background in child health and immunisation research, Professor Helen Marshall is best known for leading the world’s biggest study on meningococcal B disease.

4 mins

Applying Deep Learning Experience to Drug Discovery

A leader in next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for drug discovery and biomarker development, Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong headquartered startup Insilico Medicine.

1 min

Far-reaching Impact

Dr Parul Ganju, a PhD in skin biology, from National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi cofounded Ahammune Biosciences in 2016 in Pune, with Dr Krishnamurthy Natarajan, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

1 min

Lunit Lunit Inc Conquering Cancer With Al

South Korea-based Lunit Inc is a public company that develops medical artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps conquer cancer.

1 min

Accelerating Drug Discovery

Hummingbird Bioscience, founded in 2015, is an innovative clinical-stage biotech startup focused on developing precision therapies against hard-to drug targets to improve treatment outcomes.

1 min

Revolutionising Healthcare with New-age Tech

Brain Navi Biotechnology, founded in 2015, is located in Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park in Taiwan.

1 min

Powering it with RNA

Aspin off from Agency of Science, Technology and Research A*STAR), Singapore-based startup MiRXES has commercialised its technology and eveloped accurate multi-cancer early detection solutions and made them readily available and accessible to people who need them.

1 min

A Powerful Performance

Allplex SARS-CoV-2 Assay by Seegene Inc

1 min

"There are many diseases for which mRNA approaches will be life-saving, including cancers"

What are your views on the current application and future perspectives of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene editing technology in developing new disease treatments? CRISPR/Caso9 gene editing is very powerful, but, not yet, as highly accurate as one would like.

2 mins

Healthcare Consumerisation Driving the Demand for Home Diagnostic Innovations in Asia

The healthcare industry is witnessing a major shift in patient behaviour-- patients are more independent and aware of their health and well-being.

5 mins

Rounding up Digital Health Advancements across APAC in 2022

Over the past two years, Digital Health has been propelled into a realm of new care to create better efficiency, patient experience, while improving patient outcomes.

4 mins

Mahidol University adopts virtual reality for medical education

Japan-based Jolly Good Inc., in collaboration with Juntendo University, will commence a demonstration project for the introduction of medical education with virtual reality (VR) for the purpose of developing medical human resources through the use of VR at Royal Mahidol University and throughout Thailand.

1 min

Smith+Nephew opens academy in Singapore

Smith+Nephew, the global medical technology company, has announced the opening of Smith+Nephew (S+N) Academy Singapore, a major medical education and digital innovation centre covering the Asia-Pacific region.

1 min

India sets up Academic Chair in Ayurvedic Science at Western Sydney University

The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, has formally announced the setting up of an Ayurveda Academic Chair based at Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute, with tenure for a period of three years.

1 min

Healthify Me picks Stanford's Dr Shebani Sethi as Chief Medical Officer

In a first for a healthtech startup in India, Bengaluru-based HealthifyMe has announced the appointment of Dr Shebani Sethi as its consulting Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

1 min

Kyowa Kirin announces change in leadership position

Kyowa Kirin, a Japan-based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical company, has announced the appointment of Abdul Mullick, President, Kyowa Kirin International (KKI), to a new role in the global organisation, as Vice Chief International Business Officer, reporting to the Global President.

1 min

CARsgen names Dr Sylvie Peltier as SVP of global regulatory affairs

China-based startup CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings has announced that Dr Sylvie Peltier has been appointed as Senior Vice President (SVP) of Global Regulatory Affairs of the company.

1 min

Hong Kong uses novel computation methods to develop COVID-19 hotspot map

A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has launched the Hong Kong COVID-19 Hotspot Map which allows the intuitive visualisation of real-time and dynamic geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong.

1 min

Korea designs novel skinattachable auditory sensor

A research team at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea has developed a skin-attachable microphone sensor that clearly detects voices even in harsh noisy environments.

1 min

India Discovers 3 Antiviral Molecules For Treating COVID-19

A team of researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has identified antiviral molecules that can be used effectively to treat COVID-19 infections.

1 min

New Zealand explores genomic sequencing to improve newborns' well-being

Researchers from the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute in New Zealand are about to harness the technology of rapid genome sequencing in the hope of improving the well-being of critically ill newborn babies.

1 min

Singapore links air polluting particles with cardiac arrests

Small particles in air pollution in Singapore might have caused sudden cardiac arrests in some people who were not in hospital but simply going about their normal lives, according to scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School working with the National Environment Agency (NEA) as part of the PanAsian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS).

1 min

Agilent, Monash University collaborate to build Malaysia Integrated Biology Centre

Agilent Technologies has entered a new strategic partnership with Monash University Malaysia (Monash) to build a Malaysia integrated biology centre

1 min

Sartorius enters research partnership with The BASE Facility at University of Queensland

Germany-based Sartorius has entered a research partnership with The BASE Facility at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia to improve the manufacturing process of nucleic acid products led by the external collaboration group, Separation Separation Technology Marketing team.

1 min

PerkinElmer launches industry-first readyto-use viral vector assays

PerkinElmer, Inc. has launched ready-to-use Adenoassociated Virus Vectors (AAV) Detection Kits to support researchers working on gene therapies for a variety of serious diseases.

1 min

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BioSpectrum Asia Magazine Description:

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.