Nerdy Science Blog

BERNAMA:

Malaysia Sees Potential In Tissue Banking

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) — The development of the science of tissue banking in Malaysia will contribute substantially to the biotechnology sector as it could lower the cost for Malaysian patients in need of such care.

Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, chief executive officer of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), said today that for the development of tissue banking, Malaysia needs to industriously complement the efforts of the National Tissue Bank and Nuclear Malaysia in stepping up commercialisation of tissue banking.

The Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Technology Report 2007 published by Visiongain estimates the market for future tissue engineered products, including regeneration of bone, cartilage and other connective structural treatments, at US$5 billion globally, he said.

“The market value of tissue banking could contribute to the Malaysian economy even though there are no definitive numbers as yet for Asia or the Asia Pacific, but the growth of the business in key markets in India and China is more than positive,” he said.

According to NovaSterilis, a US company which provides sterilisation technology for medical devices and human tissue, indicated that the US tissue bank market was worth US$400 million last year, he said.

“Tissue banking offers exciting possibilities in managing complex bone and cartilage diseases, spinal cord injuries and other serious injuries. It also prolongs life and adds meaningful years of freedom and mobility not only for the elderly but also for our children and youth by crippling diseases,” he told a press conference here on the forthcoming 5th World Congress on Tissue Banking.

Malaysia’s National Tissue Bank is recognised for producing safe, high quality tissue grafts in a wide field of application for burns, orthopaedic, microsurgery, facial, dental and paediatric surgery, according to Iskandar.

The National Tissue Bank’s research & development activities had achieved outstanding international work, with more than 40 research findings in amniotic membranes, bone grafts, trauma and reconstruction.

“Integrated research is also conducted in bio-materials, tissue engineering and stem cells,” he said.

Meanwhile Iskandar said that with the contribution of Nuclear Malaysia and other Malaysian participants, the 5th World Congress on Tissue Banking here on June 3-5 will feature speakers from 20 countries including the US, Cuba, UK, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Russia, India, Korea and Hong Kong.

– BERNAMA

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Knowledge-based economy; the use of knowledge to produce economic benefits has been long implemented in developed countries. It’s good to know that Malaysia, a developing country is heading towards that direction, especially in the field of scientific research. INBIOSIS is one of the research organizations leading the nation towards the development of scientific research. A brainchild of UKM academics & researchers, INBIOSIS functions as a multidisciplinary research and its current focus is on discovering the network of processes by which secondary metabolites are produced by tropical plants. INBIOSIS is looking forward to forging smart partnerships with the biotechnology industries.

For more details, visit:

INBIOSIS in Utusan malaysia (article in Malay)

INBIOSIS Website

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The Age:

The Intersuisse Biotechnology Index has posted its worst yet quarterly drop since its inception 12 years ago, falling by 23.9 per cent because of the continued decline of the stock market.

The result, for the three months to March 31, was the worst quarterly drop since the index’s inception in 1996.

By comparison the NASDAQ Biotechnology index fell 2.7 per cent and the All Ordinaries index fell by 14.3 per cent over the same period.

I don’t think it’s the end of biotechnology in Australia, as there are still some companies having increased index price.  However the majority of the biotech companies had their index dropped.

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BERNAMA:

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) — Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), which is expected to play a bigger role in the development of the biotechnology sector, has to go out and explore the opportunities in the states, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said TPM Corp Sdn Bhd’s subsidiary, TPM Biotech Sdn Bhd, was viewed as the “powerhouse” of the biotech sector and it has to reach out to states with rich biodiversity such as Sabah and Sarawak, and tap their indigenous medical knowledge.

“There is a need for TPM to decentralise its services and to reach out to the states, and we hope it will do it during the remainder of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) period.

“We don’t have to follow the modus operandi of the past. They (TPM) can perhaps work with the state governments who would provide land and facilities, or other business networking,” he told reporters after paying a visit to TPM here Thursday.

He said the government wanted to focus on the biotech sector and the pioneering works that had been done by TPM had set the pace for the projects undertaken under 9MP.

“In the last three years since TPM set up its biotech segment, 192 companies had sought its assistance and services, 42 had gone into manufacturing or production via TPM and three had international-level collaborations with pharmaceutical companies,” he said.

Ongkili said TPM sent a team to Sabah recently to explore opportunities in developing biotech industry within the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) and would do a similar feasibility study in Sarawak.

TPM president/chief executive, Datuk Mohd Azman Shahidin, said following the visit, it collaborated with the Institute of Development Studies Sabah to study whether it was socially and economically viable to grow the sector under SDC.

He said the ministry planned to set up a National Innovation Foundation to acknowledge and reward people who have come up with innovations that add value to a product or livelihood of the people.

“I will discuss further details with the Cabinet which will make the final decision,” he said.

TPM is one of the world’s most advanced and comprehensive centres for research and development of knowledge-based industries. TMC Corp is a government-linked company.

– BERNAMA

I do hope Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili can make science jobs one of the highest pay in the states as well.

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BERNAMA:

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Biosafety Act 2007 to regulate the import, export, handling and use of living modified organisms, will be enforced in the second half of this year, Natural Resource and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said Monday.

He said the ministry was consulting the Public Service Department to establish a body which would regulate the implementation of the Act.

He noted that the agency would be acting as a one-stop centre on all matters pertaining to biosafety, from approvals to enforcement and monitoring.

I’m glad that the Biosafety Act will be enforced so that companies and scientists cannot exploit the law for their own benefits.

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Although Malaysa is lagged behind other countries in biotechnology sector, its growth is steadily increasing.

The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s stem cell research and therapy market is estimated to be worth US$157mil, said Malaysian Biotechnology Corp Sdn Bhd (BiotechCorp) chief executive officer Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood.

He said although the penetration rate for stem cell research and therapy was still small, the potential of the sector was huge, with year-on-year growth rate estimated at about 12%.

Under Stem Cells Operational & Professional Excellence (Scope) programme by Stempeutics Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd, 15 Malaysian employees were trained in India and will be working at the Stempeutics stem cell lab at Technology Park Malaysia next month.  The coming Scope programme will be held in Malaysia and the amount of trainee will be increase to 45 people.

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Capital Press:

Clive James, a Canadian scientist who heads the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, told a conference here last week that biotech crops will deliver significant financial gains for farmers in the U.S. and other developed countries but even greater humanitarian gains for the poor in developing countries.

The conference, sponsored by the Farm Foundation, assessed the impact of adoption of biotech traits in major field crops in 1996 in the U.S. and sought to predict their development in the coming decade across the globe.

“We believe that the growth you get in the second decade of commercialization will be even greater than what you got in the first decade,” he said.

Read this article written by JAMES C. WEBSTER.  Does this mean I have more job preferences?

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The Star:

SUNGAI PETANI: US-based bio-technology company WaferGen Biosystems Inc is setting up a RM10mil research and development centre at Kulim-High Tech Park in Kedah, the company’s first venture outside Silicon Valley.

It has set up a subsidiary, WaferGen Biosystems (M) Sdn Bhd, to handle the operations.

WaferGen develops gene expression, genotyping, cell biology and stem cell research systems for the life science and pharmaceutical industries.

WaferGen chairman and chief executive officer Alnoor Shivji said the R&D centre would be ready by April and would require some 100 researchers and scientists, mainly locals.

Sungai Petani, where my last love from. Malaysian scientists are getting more jobs, but then the wages are not as high as other countries. As my friends said, working as a scientist may got paid higher than other jobs, but the problem is you never have a chance for salary increase.

You can read the press release of WaferGen for this launching of Malaysia centre here.

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Research and Markets - Scrip Yearbook 2008: 24th edition:

Scrips annual review of the year, Scrip Yearbook 2008 is your guide to all the key facts, events and issues of the last 12 months from across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.Collected and organised from coverage in Scrip World Pharmaceutical News, the respected source of biopharmaceutical industry news, this new updated report provides a complete and concise tool, covering all levels of the industry and recent developments.

Scrip Yearbook 2008 will help you to:
- Identify which significant mergers and acquisitions were completed
- Analyse the strategic and financial performance of your competitors
- Track the latest clinical developments and key product launches across all therapeutic areas
- Review the latest industry regulations imposed on the industry
- Gain insight from leading industry analysts and commentary from senior editors
- Keep abreast of global healthcare initiatives and market movements

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Stempeutics Research is investing RM30 million (~USD10 million) on stem cell research and therapy so that stem cell therapy will be available and affordable to everyone.

Stempeutics Research, which is part of the India-based Manipal Education and Medical Group, became the first foreign company to set up a stem cell research and therapy centre here.

Stempeutics Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd will promote stem cell activity locally and focus on cutting edge research, therapeutics and therapy in the field of regenerative medicine.
Manohar said the Manipal Group would be investing about RM30 million in the next three to four years on the centre, to be located at the Technology Park Malaysia in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

(news)

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