Global pharma giants partner Singapore researchers to boost innovation in biologics and vaccines manufacturing
2022年12月6日 - 3:00PM
JCN Newswire
Leading pharma companies GSK, Sanofi and Takeda will partner
with research communities from the Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR); National University of Singapore (NUS);
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and its
innovation and enterprise company, NTUitive; and Singapore
Institute of Technology (SIT) to boost Singapore's biologics
manufacturing capabilities.
Their partnership will be formalised through the Biologics Pharma
Innovation Programme Singapore (BioPIPS), a consortium initiated by
A*STAR with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board
(EDB).
BioPIPS seeks to use research and innovation to grow Singapore's
manufacturing capabilities for biologics, which include recombinant
therapeutic proteins, and vaccines. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic,
biologics and vaccines played a critical role globally in
preventing severe disease and saving lives.
The consortium will bring together leading industry experts and
Singapore's research ecosystem to enhance manufacturing
productivity, improve operational efficiency and achieve
sustainability goals. The consortium ultimately aims to make
Singapore's biologics manufacturing capabilities best-in-class and
well-positioned for the introduction of new products and novel
manufacturing technologies.
"New opportunities will emerge as the biomanufacturing industry
undergoes major changes brought about by the rapid pace of
digitalisation, Industry 4.0, and the need for greater
sustainability. As Singapore makes biopharma production a priority
area in its Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, A*STAR
aims to contribute our R&D capabilities through BioPIPS to help
make the local biomanufacturing industry become more agile and
better positioned to benefit from new products and technologies,"
said Professor Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive, Science and
Engineering Research Council, A*STAR.
"Riding on the success of PIPS, BioPIPS aims to enhance Singapore's
innovation capabilities in biologics and vaccines manufacturing by
leveraging the strengths of our leading pharmaceutical companies
and institutes of higher learning. The programme will develop
highly productive, sustainable and advanced production technologies
and solutions. We look forward to deepening partnerships with
like-minded companies to strengthen Singapore's position as a
global biopharma manufacturing hub," said Mr Tan Kong Hwee,
Executive Vice President, EDB.
Specifically, BioPIPS will have three workstreams.
- The Sensing and Modelling workstream aims to harness machine
learning and mechanistic modelling technologies, together with
smart sensors, to enable simplified and faster workflows. Data
analytics will enable the effective translation of process
knowledge gained into performance improvements, which in turn
benefits the overall manufacturing process.
- The Sustainability workstream focuses on tackling sustainability
challenges in biologics and vaccines manufacturing, which typically
utilises single-use (disposable) equipment due to the extremely
sterile environment needed for product purity. This workstream will
explore the use of novel materials and circular economy approaches
to address this challenge, as well as models to promote more
sustainable and resilient supply chains.
- The Compliant Agility workstream focuses on the removal of manual
tasks to achieve greater productivity in the manufacturing
facilities while maintaining compliance status, by using solutions
like robotics and advanced analytics.
BioPIPS is in line with Singapore's Manufacturing 2030 vision,
which aims to anchor leading manufacturing activities to grow the
country's manufacturing value-add by 50 per cent from 2020. The
solutions developed through BioPIPS will also enhance Singapore's
capabilities to meet the growing global demand for biologics and
vaccines, as well as equip pharmaceutical companies here with the
resources to scale up and respond more rapidly to future
pandemics.
"By collaborating to tackle common challenges, we can leverage
diverse skills and capabilities to create a sustainable
manufacturing environment in Singapore. We also look forward to
developing new ways to monitor and control our processes and
automate our manufacturing operations," said Chan Siong Wan, Site
Director, GSK.
"Sanofi is building a next generation manufacturing site, the
EVolutive Facility, in Singapore, which will bring advanced digital
and modular vaccine production capabilities to the Asia region. The
BioPIPS programme's focus on transforming biologics and vaccines
manufacturing through pre-competitive partnerships is aligned with
Sanofi's vision for the EVolutive Facility, to continuously push
the envelope of innovation for biopharmaceutical manufacturing,"
said Mr Koh Liang Hong, Site Head, EVolutive Facility, Sanofi.
"The objectives of BioPIPS are aligned to Takeda's ambitions of
being net carbon zero in our operations by 2035 and how we can tap
on data, digital and technology to transform our manufacturing
site. We look forward to this partnership with Singapore's research
ecosystem to further strengthen our capabilities, and discover new
and sustainable ways to develop and manufacture innovative medicine
to deliver on Takeda's commitment to Patient, People and Planet,"
said George Lam, Site Head, Takeda Manufacturing Singapore.
BioPIPS builds on the consortium model established by the Pharma
Innovation Programme Singapore (PIPS), which was set up to boost
Singapore's capabilities for manufacturing of small molecule drugs
made of chemical compounds.
"NUS is delighted to be a member of BioPIPS, contributing our
capabilities in areas such as biocatalysis, reactor manufacturing,
and digital factory. By leveraging the complementary strengths of
A*STAR, EDB, the academia and the pharmaceutical industry, we can
create a strong technology foundation for innovations that will
bring about compelling improvements in productivity, operational
efficiency and sustainability practices in Singapore's biopharma
manufacturing sector," said Professor Thorsten Wohland, Director,
Research Governance and Enablement, Office of the Deputy President
(Research and Technology), NUS.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the
biomanufacturing industry to be innovative and agile when dealing
with challenges, including future pandemics and disease outbreaks.
At the NTU Smart Campus, our scientists have been pioneering
advanced solutions such as breathalysers that can detect Covid-19
in two minutes and a semi-autonomous robot that can disinfect
surfaces. Such groundbreaking research underlines our commitment to
the NTU 2025 strategic plan that aims to solve some of humanity's
grand challenges, including addressing the needs and challenges of
healthy living and ageing. With our strengths in interdisciplinary
research and innovation, we hope to play our part to bolster the
sector's manufacturing productivity and operational efficiency in a
sustainable manner. We look forward to achieving meaningful results
with our partners through this national consortium," said Professor
Peter Preiser, Associate Vice President (Biomedical and Life
Sciences), NTU Singapore.
"SIT is excited to be part of BioPIPS, which will inject
next-generation process innovation into the local pharmaceutical
industry. This partnership will allow SIT to strengthen its applied
research capabilities in sustainable biopharma manufacturing
technologies. Under this initiative, SIT will explore opportunities
to work with manufacturers to apply digitalisation for process
optimisation and better regulatory oversight while incorporating
environmental considerations to progress production processes for
the pharmaceutical industry," said Associate Professor Susanna
Leong, Vice President (Applied Research), SIT.
Image https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_astar20221206.jpg
A/Prof Susanna Leong, Vice President (Applied Research), SIT; Prof
Thorsten Wohland, Director, Research Governance and Enablement,
Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology), NUS; Prof
Ng Huck Hui, Assistant Chief Executive, Biomedical Research
Council, A*STAR; Mr Chan Siong Wan, Site Director, GSK; Mr Tan Kong
Hwee, Executive Vice President, EDB; Mr Koh Liang Hong, Site Head,
EVolutive Facility, Sanofi; Mr George Lam, Site Head, Takeda
Manufacturing Singapore; Prof Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief
Executive, Science & Engineering Research Council, A*STAR; Prof
Peter Preiser, President's Chair in Biological Science &
Associate Vice President (Biomedical and Life Sciences), NTU
Singapore; Mr David Toh, Director and Chief Executive Officer,
NTUitive [L-R]
For media queries and clarifications, please contact:
Owen Sia (Mr)
Assistant Head, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Tel: +65 6517 7866
Email: owen_sia@hq.a-star.edu.sg
Fabius Chen (Mr)
Senior Manager, Corporate Marketing and Communications
Singapore Economic Development Board
Tel: +65 6832 6125
Email: fabius_chen@edb.gov.sg
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is
Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open
innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and
private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science
and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between
academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and
jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal
outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR
plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the
wider research community and industry. A*STAR's R&D activities
span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with
research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.
For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
Follow us on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASTARSG/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astarsg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astarsg/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/astartv
Twitter: https://twitter.com/astarsg
About the Singapore Economic Development Board
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), a government agency
under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for
strategies that enhance Singapore's position as a global centre for
business, innovation, and talent. We undertake investment promotion
and industry development, and work with international businesses,
both foreign and local, by providing information, connection to
partners and access to government incentives for their investments.
Our mission is to create sustainable economic growth, with vibrant
business and good job opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans.
For more information on EDB, please visit www.edb.gov.sg.
Source: A*STARSingapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.