CHICAGO: Malaysia is positioning itself as a biopharmaceutical hub producing cost-competitive medicine, especially for the underserved emerging markets following joint-venture initiatives clinched with foreign firms at the renowned global bio-technology conference here.
The partnerships include the manufacture of low-cost cancer drugs,
the distribution of insulin and insulin-related products, setting up a
biotech facility in Nusajaya and producing lower cost biopharmaceutical
products.
The four projects were announced at the Bio Chicago 2013, where
Malaysia through the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation is again taking
an active part.
The first partnership between Viropro and Oncobiologics will see an
investment of US$83 million where Viropro and its subsidiary, Alpha
Biologics, will have the rights to manufacture six monoclonal antibody
products developed by Oncobiologics to be marketed in more than 70
countries.
Viropro chairman Cynthia Ekberg Tsai said the partnership would lead
to accessibility and affordability of critical care cancer medicine to
patients.
“We choose Malaysia because the government is very visionary and
understands the importance of biologics medicine. We see tremendous IP
(intellectual property) protection, skilled work force and resource-rich
country with continuous energy that is very important for us,” she told
reporters here.
Tsai said the construction for the manufacturing facilities would start by June, and expected to start production by 2014.
Viropro also established relationship with GL Rapha for lower cost
biopharmaceutical products including the activities of technology
transfer, licensing, marketing and distribution.
Another company, CCM Pharmaceuticals Sdn
Bhd has secured an exclusive licence and distribution rights from Biocon
Ltd India to market, sell and distribute a range of insulin products in
Malaysia and Brunei.
Its director Leonard Ariff Abd Shatar said the partnership was
expected to bring value to the local insulin market in Malaysia and
Brunei which is valued at RM90 million.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Bio-Xcell Sdn Bhd signed a collaboration deal
with Agila Biotech to build a next-generation, state-of-the-art biotech
facility in Nusajaya, Johor.
Chief executive officer Rizatuddin Ramli said the initial investment was about US$35 million.
Construction on the project has started on a 3.2-hectare land and Bio-Xcell expects to employ 150 high-skilled workers.
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