Singapore offers attractive

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1 Singapore Biotech Guide 2008/2009 Singapore s Biomedical Sciences Landscape companies with spin offs to Singapore, while BMRC takes the lead in coordinating and funding public sector and academic research, as well as grooming future scientist leaders. Singapore offers attractive opportunities for Biomedical Sciences (BMS) companies. Strong government support and a pro-business environment have attracted industry leaders such as Abbott, Aventis, Baxter, Becton-Dickinson, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech, Lonza, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfi zer, Schering-Plough, Siemens and Wyeth to set up a variety of operations in Singapore ranging from manufacturing to R&D to regional headquarters. The three agencies that are involved in Singapore s Biomedical Sciences (BMS) initiative are Economic Development Board s Biomedical Sciences Group (EDB BMSG), EDB s Bio*One Capital and the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) of the Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR). EDB BMSG is responsible for investment promotion, industry planning and development, Bio*One Capital makes strategic investments in Increasing depth and breadth of Manufacturing, R&D and Business activities The BMS industry has done exceptionally well since the year 2000, when the BMS initiative, a focused effort to develop Singapore s biomedical sciences sector, was fi rst launched. The manufacturing output has grown almost fourfold since then and is fast approaching our 2015 target of S$25 billion. In 2007, manufacturing output reached S$24 billion. Pharmaceuticals accounted for 89% of the total output while Medical Technology increased its output levels to over S$2.6 billion. Value-added also increased by more than threefold from S$3.8 billion in 2000 to exceed S$13 billion in Employment doubled from 5,880 to more than 11,500 over the same period. Of the total jobs in the BMS manufacturing sector, 64% are in the Medical Technology sector. We are on track to achieving our target of 15,000 jobs by Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Singapore has established a reputation as one of the world s most trusted and competitive sites for pharmaceutical bulk actives and secondary manufacturing. With 15

2 over 25 plants, Singapore is home to ten of the world s leading pharmaceutical, biotech and contract manufacturing companies. Singapore is also a manufacturing site for many blockbusters, such as Zetia (cholesterollowering), Fluticasone (antihistamine), Avastin (cancer) and Lucentis (macular degeneration). Over the last two years, leading industry players such as GSK, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Schering-Plough have continued to grow and expand their manufacturing operations in Singapore. manufacturing facilities here. These companies include Affymetrix, Baxter International, Becton Dickinson, Bio-Rad, Biosensors International, Ciba Vision, Hoya Healthcare, Japan Medical Supply, and Siemens Medical Instruments. Collectively, they manufacture a wide range of medical products that include contact lenses, research instruments, scientific analytical equipment, implantables, syringes, catheters and hearing aids in Singapore. Biologics is anticipated to be a key growth driver for the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. In less than two years, site decisions for five commercial scale biologics investments that amounted to over US$1.5 billion have been made in favour of Singapore. These include Lonza, GSK Vaccines, Genentech and most recently, Novartis. Medical Technology Manufacturing The medical technology (Medtech) sector is an important part of Singapore s fast growing biomedical sciences (BMS) industry. The industry is well known for its innovation in new medical products and systems that help address unmet clinical needs. However, with the convergence of drugs and devices, Medtech has also become a key enabler for drug discovery and development. To date, Singapore has attracted leading Medtech companies to establish In 2007, EDB brought in key investments from Bio-Rad Laboratories, Affymetrix and West Pharmaceutical. Bio-Rad Laboratories opened its first manufacturing plant in the Asia- Pacific region. The new facility will be the leading manufacturer for thermal cyclers in the world. Affymetrix opened a state-of-the-art gene chip manufacturing facility in 16

3 Singapore Biotech Guide 2008/2009 Singapore, its first outside the US. Affymetrix plans to shift about 40% of its microarray production to Singapore. West Pharmaceutical expanded its manufacturing capacity that would see an increase in West s Singapore production by 30%. West is a leader in closure systems and syringe components for use with injectable drugs. R&D Drawn to our excellent IP protection and enforcement environment as well as our pool of world-class talents, more than 25 companies have set up research operations in Singapore. Most of these research facilities are located at the Biopolis, a purpose built campus for biomedical sciences research. Last year, the EDB brought in new biomedical sciences research projects that would result in research investments worth over $500 million over the next 5 years. In 2006, R&D spending by biomedical sciences companies in Singapore reached a high of $531 million; almost triple the sum of $189 million in the year Correspondingly, the number of private sector research scientists and engineers (RSEs) involved in biomedical and related sciences research doubled to nearly 1,000 over the same period. Key research investments in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medtech sectors include the following: GlaxoSmithKline expanded its Centre for Research in Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders in Singapore with new medicinal chemistry laboratories, which doubled the number of researchers to 60. Eli Lilly s Singapore Centre for Drug Discovery (LS-CDD) will triple the size of its original operations in Singapore to reach 150 research scientists at steady state. Codexis, a promising US-based biotechnology company focused on clean and efficient manufacturing processes, opened its first research facility in Asia last year to develop biocatalysts for the pharmaceutical industry. MerLion Pharmaceuticals has become one of the world s leading companies that specialises in novel antibiotics developed from natural products. In 2007, it was awarded the Best 17

4 Company in an Emerging Market at the industry s Scrip Awards. Furthermore, it was identified by Fierce Biotech as one of the world s fifteen most promising biotechnology companies in S*BIO is another outstanding Singapore company that has built up a strong pipeline of novel compounds for cancer. These compounds have entered preclinical development. Fluidigm has launched a new Biomedical Product Development Centre that will undertake the full development of a new sophisticated analytical instrumentation system, called BioMark II. Qiagen has set up Singapore s first molecular diagnostic R&D centre in Singapore. This 30-man R&D centre will develop molecular diagnostics assay for genetic and infectious diseases, and support Qiagen s global expansion in this market. Hill-Rom announced its first Asia-Pacific Innovation Centre. The centre will become the home base for new Hill-Rom teams focused on developing healthcare appliances and products for growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional Headquarters About 20 leading biomedical sciences companies (e.g. GSK, Schering-Plough, Novartis, Quintiles, Siemens, Bayer, Roche Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson) have set up regional headquarters in Singapore. Drawn to our excellent logistics connectivity to key regional markets, world class infrastructure and highly skilled workforce, these companies have leveraged Singapore s capabilities for knowledge intensive activities such as the management of clinical trials, supply chain and IT. In August 2007, Merck joined the ranks of companies that have set up regional headquarters in Singapore. The move is part of Merck s strategy to strengthen its focus on emerging markets, bringing its innovative portfolio of pharmaceuticals and vaccines to patients and the medical community in Asia. The new regional office will expand Merck s scope and capabilities in Singapore and provide an expanded base of technology platforms to support new product introductions. 18

5 Singapore Biotech Guide 2008/2009 Translational and Clinical Research We have established core capabilities in both biomedical sciences manufacturing and R&D. In the second phase of Singapore s BMS initiative ( ), we will continue to build on this foundation to strengthen our capabilities in translational and clinical research to bring discoveries from the bench to the bedside and the marketplace, and ultimately improve human healthcare. The Singapore government has committed to invest US$5 billion by 2010 to build up our scientific capabilities and infrastructure to support R&D. In 2007, we have made progress in establishing key capabilities and infrastructure to support translational and clinical research. These include: 1. Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences (SICS) SICS was set up in April 2007 to develop disease-oriented clinical and translational research programs in focused disease areas genetic, hepatic infectious, metabolism diseases. Situated at the Biopolis and the Kent Ridge Campus of the National University of Singapore and the National University Hospital, SICS serves as an important bridge linking basic research undertaken by A*STAR Research Institutes and clinical research programmes in Singapore s public hospitals, disease centres and the universities. The institute nurtures clinician scientists and is focused on clinical sciences and the use of innovative approaches and technologies to study human health and diseases. 2. Investigational Medicine Units The ability to design and develop protocols for early-phase trials will be crucial to Singapore s development as a thought leader in TCR. The Singapore Government has committed S$140 million to build new TCR infrastructure, including the establishment of Investigational Medicine Units at the Kent Ridge and Outram campuses of our two medical schools the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School respectively. They will support both investigator and industry initiated first-in-man and proof-of-concept 19

6 clinical trials, and position Singapore as the number one location in Asia for translational research. 3. Academic Clinical Research Organization (ACRO) For Phase II to IV clinical trials, the Government has set up the ACRO to manage large-scale trials conducted across multiple centres. This facility is equipped to manage research that is concurrently being carried out in outpatient research facilities and clinical research units in public hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. ACRO will conduct epidemiology and outcome research studies and offer biostatistical and medical informatics capabilities. 4. Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) The ACRP, the pinnacle international body in clinical research, launched its Singapore chapter in December It is a key resource for clinical research professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, as well as those in hospital, academic medical centres and physician office settings. The Singapore ACRP chapter will provide an avenue for greater co-operation amongst companies in addressing training and professional development issues collectively. 5. A*Star-NUS-Siemens Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC) Bioimaging is a fast-growing field that will have significant impact on our understanding of human disease and response to drugs. The CIRC provides advanced end-to-end biomedical imaging solutions for human studies, and will be one of the few clinical research sites in the world to have access to MR-PET, a combination of two powerful imaging techniques that allow clinical researchers to define and locate diseases accurately while identifying the underlying molecular causes. The CIRC will propel Singapore to the forefront of advanced research in new imaging methods, biomarkers and imaging agents, and support clinical trials of novel medicines and devices. 20

7 Singapore Biotech Guide 2008/2009 Specialised Infrastructure Biopolis (R&D) In 2003, Singapore opened the Biopolis, an integrated R&D complex with two million square feet of space that houses A*STAR s public research institutes in biomedical sciences and engineering as well as R&D laboratories of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. By co-locating private and public sector research, the Biopolis provides common infrastructure such as research facilities, equipment and amenities, thus encouraging the synergy of scientific ideas, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaborative research and lowering the entry barrier for companies to set up operations here. The take-up rate for Biopolis Phase I exceeded initial expectations, achieving full occupancy a mere one year after it was opened. Development plans for Biopolis Phase II was thus accelerated. Phase II, which was opened in October 2006 and provides an additional 400,000 square feet of space, is now over 80% occupied. Work has already begun on Phase III of the Biopolis which is expected to add another 420,000 square feet when ready in Tuas Biomedical Park (Manufacturing) The Tuas Biomedical Park (TBP) plays an instrumental role in attracting global biopharmaceutical manufacturing activities to Singapore. TBP had been developed as a plug and play environment for manufacturing operations, providing ready access to essential infrastructure such as roads, drainage systems, power and water supply, as well as telecommunication lines. Manufacturers can also leverage third-party utilities and services such as steam, natural gas, chilled water and waste treatment. TBP currently occupies a land area of over 370 hectares and is home to the following biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies that have invested more than S$6 billion in total: Abbott, CIBA Vision, Genentech, GSK Biologicals, Lonza Biologics, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Pfizer and Wyeth. In 2006, Tuas Power, in partnership with Pfizer, broke ground for its new, state-of-the- 21

8 art trigeneration facility. Trigeneration, which produces three types of utilities electricity, steam and chilled water from a single integrated system, leads to greater energy efficiency, cost savings and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. In March 2007, Schering- Plough also invested in a trigeneration plant that is expected to reduce its energy consumption substantially from 12.5 MW to 9.3 MW and reduce its annual carbon oxide emissions by 24 per cent. Looking Ahead Singapore s vision is to become the Biopolis of Asia a leading international biomedical sciences cluster advancing human health, through the pursuit of excellence in R&D, manufacturing and healthcare delivery. precision engineering, Singapore provides strong, quality support for outsourcing options. For R&D, translational and clinical research will play an important role in Singapore s development as we seek to bring discoveries closer to healthcare applications. Health and wellness will also be a key concern for our growing ageing population as well as our increasingly affluent and educated population. Being a highly integrated citystate with world class infrastructure and a strong collaboration between scientists, clinicians and leading companies, Singapore is well positioned to test-bed healthcare solutions for the expanding silver industry and middle class in the region. Today, the city-state has established a reputation for being the most competitive and trusted site for pharmaceutical bulk actives and secondary manufacturing. Singapore is now building critical mass for biologics manufacturing and fully expects to maintain this momentum as even more companies are attracted to Singapore. Singapore will also continue our focused effort to grow the Medical Technology sector in the areas of cardiovascular, eye care, diagnostic and imaging, research tools and scientific instruments, and orthopaedics. Building on our capabilities in electronics and For more information, please visit Contributed by Singapore Economic Development Board 22