July-august. 2020 | @Halal
Innovation
23
WELCOME: VentureTECH Chairman
Datuk Khalilur Rahman Ebrahim delivers
his opening speech.
talents, particularly in the high-value
biopharmaceutical products.
“There would also be the promotion
of technology adoption to make healthcare,
especially chronic diseases that
require biosimilar treatments, more
affordable, especially to the B40 and
M40 segments.”
Before this, Duopharma Biotech and
PanGen had co-developed Erythropoietin
(EPO), the first biosimilar drug
manufactured by a local pharmaceutical
company, which resulted in the
establishment of the MoU.
“This collaboration (MoU) signifies
the importance of a strategic partnership.
It is an acknowledgement that
rapid innovation always arises from
a rich blend of expertise, knowledge
transfer, and skills development
coming together to establish new
milestones,” said Leonard Ariff.
“The joint venture between Malaysian
and Korean pharmaceutical
companies will establish the first
biopharmaceutical production in
Malaysia. We envision it will become
one of the largest biopharmaceutical
facilities in Southeast Asia.”
He is confident of this considering
Duopharma Biotech’s excellent
infrastructure and PanGen’sreliable
platform technologies. This joint
venture company is targetting to cater
to Southeast Asian markets, and ultimately
to the Middle East and Europe
countries.
“But first, the main focus will be on
the development and manufacturing
of several biosimilar products. Subsequently,
we will build a strong R&D
team to develop new biopharmaceutical
drugs in the pipeline,” said Prof
Yoon.
“We believe this second collaboration
will build a neverending friendship
between two companies.”
Innovation and technology
in healthcare are being pushed
forward to ensure patients have better
options to live a better and healthier
life.
Since 2010, and with the addition of
this joint venture, VentureTECH has
invested in 18 technology industry
leaders from start-ups to mezzanine
and growth stages in the targeted biobased,
emerging and green industries,
with an aggregate portfolio revenue of
more than RM340 million, and investee
collective net worth that has surpassed
the RM1 billion mark.
IT’S A DEAL: Signing the MoU is Dr Norida (left) and Leonard Ariff witnessed by Khairy,
Secretary General of MOSTI, Datuk Ir Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir and Malaysian Industry-
Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) President & CEO Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff
Sulaiman.
Khairy:
Biotechnology
can generate
investments
But concerns regarding health
security are far more vital
The flaring-up of Coronavirus
has moved the
Malaysian government
to play a more active role
in advancing healthcare,
promoting technology
adoption and working hand in
hand with industry players.
Minister of Science, Technology,
and Innovation (MOSTI) Khairy
Jamaluddin said there was an
urgent need to improve the quality
of life and access to healthcare by
making healthcare affordable and
more accessible to the people.
He emphasised the government
needed a clear roadmap for the
development of human vaccines
to ensure health security and comprehensible
formulation process.
At the moment, Malaysia was
not at its best capacity to come up
with human vaccines. Instead,
we only have the ability for the
making of animal vaccines.
“We are placed in an unstrategic
position when we are dealing
with the pandemic preparedness,”
said Khairy.
The government has seen the
growing sector of biotechnology
because this is one of the
industries which can generate
investments. But concerns regarding
health security is far more
vital.
Khairy mentioned if Malaysia
were to benchmark itself with
other countries in Southeast Asia
in developing vaccines, “we are
very much far behind”.
So, for security and development
of vaccines, he suggested
there must be a roadmap.
Diving into the development of
vaccines required high cost. Most
stages towards the development
of the biological field have been
carried out. So, this is seen as an
entry point for Malaysia and an
opportunity to move forward not
only in production and R&D, but
also after entering the sector.
Khairy said: “Considering that
Covid-19 is not the only pandemic
standing and I think there will
be more pandemics to come, it
propels Malaysia to view on its
pandemic preparedness and a
proportion of that will be to look
at the development of vaccines.”
The roadmap for the production
of vaccines will take about
six months to complete, but the
period of implementation will
depend on the planned procedures
in the roadmap itself.
“Recently, Duopharma Biotech
Berhad came forth to offer its
fill and finish facility. From here,
we can see on what other development
needs so that one day
Malaysia can produce our vaccine
for all types of disease,” he added.
In another way, Malaysians can
genuinely make use of the talents
available in the field of science as
well as generating more research
on vaccines. Malaysia now only
has one study conducted for
human vaccines.
Once the vaccine is made available,
the government will study
with the Ministry of Health the
cost implications. Secondly,it will
be on the level of prioritisation
against the age group.
Khairy said: “At the end of the
day, what is most important is the
vaccine is widely available, it is
actively distributed and placed at
the lowest cost possible.”