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From the map, the Southeast Asian island nation of Singapore looks like a diamond
.
It is the only developed country in Southeast Asia, with only 728.
6 square kilometers and a population of 5.
68 million, with a land area equivalent to the urban area of Shanghai (781.
04 square kilometers) in China, and a total population comparable
to that of Yulin City, Guangxi.
From Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, you can reach Singapore
in four hours.
"Going to Singapore" is becoming a hot spot in China's biomedical industry, with WuXi AppTec and GenScript setting up sites
in Singapore.
Singapore is also actively attracting Chinese biopharmaceutical companies
.
In this "two-way race", if enterprises want to better understand the future development plan of Singapore's biomedical industry, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the government department
that enterprises must deal with.
Why go to Singapore? Which companies does EDB prefer to settle in? What are the excitement and concerns of companies going to Singapore?
Why go to Singapore? Which companies does EDB prefer to settle in? What are the excitement and concerns of companies going to Singapore? These questions can be answered
in an interview with Ms Louise Ho, Head of the Singapore Economic Development Board Shanghai Representative Office.
"CDMOs, CROs, biotech companies, innovative drugs, IVD companies, medtech suppliers and medtech device companies are all interested in
Singapore.
"
"International talent has to be found
in the international market.
"
"The opportunities Singapore can present are complementary
.
"
Hot spot! Invest in Singapore, the "Lion City"
Hot spot! Invest in the "Lion City" Singapore hotspot! Singapore is becoming increasingly
attractive to Chinese biopharmaceutical companies.
"CDMOs, CROs, biotech companies, innovative drugs, IVD companies, medtech suppliers and medtech device companies are all interested in
Singapore.
" Ms.
He Xinqian said
.
There are many
well-known cases.
For example, WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics recently launched a 10-year investment blueprint
in Singapore.
WuXi AppTec will invest S$2 billion (RMB 10 billion) to build a service base that provides a full suite of services
for testing, development, manufacturing and commercialization of small molecule, biologics, cell and gene therapy model products.
This will complement their work in China, Ireland and North America
.
WuXi Biologics will set up an R&D service center and manufacturing facility for drugs and pharmaceutical products in Singapore, complementing its bases in China, the U.
S.
and Germany, and its current production capacity of 154,000 liters will increase by approximately 120,000 liters to 274,000 liters
.
Nanjing GenScript has established a 30,000-square-foot protein production platform in Singapore to serve
the Asia-Pacific research community.
In the future, the new facility can also be expanded to other business units
in cell and gene therapy and vaccine R&D services.
Biotech companies such as BeiGene, LianBio, Genting Sun Yao, etc.
, are taking advantage of Singapore's advantages to reach overseas markets
including Southeast Asia.
Companies such as Tianyan Pharmaceutical have established partnerships with local clinical research and investigative medicine departments to conduct clinical trials
.
Why Singapore?
Why Singapore?Why do Chinese biotech companies like to set up sites in Singapore?
Ms.
He Xinqian roughly attributed it to two reasons
: "the trend of the times" and "complementary resources".
The trend of the times: layout to the sea, plan long-term development
The trend of the times: layout to the sea, plan long-term development The company's eagerness is closely related to
China's current biomedical environment.
First of all, going to sea has become the trend
of the times.
of the times.
Since China piloted bulk procurement in 2015 and gradually rolled it out in various provinces, the price of new drugs has dropped by 60% to 80%.
Although this shortens the time it takes for new drugs to be included in the national health insurance list, it has also led to fierce competition, and the situation in the PD-1 field is obvious
to all.
As a result, some Chinese companies are beginning to look for opportunities in
overseas blue ocean markets.
Second, China's biopharmaceutical strength is increasing, entering a new era
of frequent license outs.
of frequent license outs.
In 2020 alone, the number of foreign licensing transactions for Chinese pharmaceutical companies was 24, a three-fold increase from five years
ago.
By 2021, the total number of licensing agreements had doubled to 53.
BeiGene's $1 billion and Remegen's $2.
6 billion mandate are outstanding examples
of this.
The enhancement of R&D strength has brought more development space
for enterprises.
Third, innovative pharmaceutical companies need global strategic planning to survive
in the long term.
in the long term.
Medical trend statistics show that in the 2020 revenue of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies, the revenue of the US market accounts for more than 33%
of its total revenue.
Developed markets in Europe also account for a relatively large proportion.
Therefore, access to developed markets is critical
to the development and profitability of innovative medicines.
Because of the mature pharmaceutical insurance system and the perfect price mechanism in these markets, the barriers to entry brought by intellectual property protection and patents will help provide a longer runway
for innovative drugs.
"To do a good job in overseas markets, you need relevant talents, which is also a major reason
for driving the internationalization of enterprises.
" International talent must be found
in the international market.
Whether it is production, clinical declaration, or drug application, it is necessary to have overseas practical experience to assume this responsibility
.
Ms.
He Xinqian said
.
Complementary resources: A complete industrial chain is conducive to enterprises covering the Southeast Asian market
Complementary resources: A complete industrial chain is conducive to enterprises covering the Southeast Asian marketUnderstanding internationalization is the only way for Chinese enterprises to develop, but why does it have to be Singapore and not other countries?
Understanding internationalization is the only way for Chinese enterprises to develop, but why does it have to be Singapore and not other countries? "For Chinese pharmaceutical companies, China must be a very important market
.
Because China is the world's second largest biomedical market after the United States, it is expected to reach the level
of 300 billion US dollars by 2025.
In addition, in recent years, China has implemented a series of policies and reforms to encourage innovation and vigorous development, capital investment surge, and the return of biomedical talents, which is very beneficial to the development of enterprises
.
”
"But the opportunities Singapore can present are complementary
.
”
Based on its geographical, economic and political advantages, many businesses see Singapore as an anchor to
cover the Southeast Asian market.
A two-hour flight from Singapore is two hours away from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, or Ho Chi Minh City
in Vietnam.
In the eyes of many corporate decision-makers, Singapore is the most appropriate "bridgehead" to the entire Southeast Asian market
.
Companies use Singapore as a hub to coordinate investment and financing, regulation, access, sales and business development in
Southeast Asia.
(1) The industrial chain is complete, providing fertile soil
for enterprise innovation and commercialization.
for enterprise innovation and commercialization.
"Building a complete ecosystem is important
to sustain the strong growth of the biomedical science industry.
"And Singapore can complement this area
.
"
Since the 90s, biomedical technology has been identified as Singapore with growth potential, and by 2020, the output value of Singapore's biomedical manufacturing industry has reached 157.
7 billion yuan, equivalent to the output value of nearly four Zhangjiang Life and Health Industrial Parks (in 2020, the industrial output value of Zhangjiang life and health industry reached 43.
8 billion yuan), accounting for 10.
8%
of Singapore's manufacturing output value.
7 billion RMB
At the same time, Singapore has also attracted a number of strong biomedical technology companies:
A total of 80 biopharmaceutical companies are headquartered in Singapore, covering commercial affairs, alliance management, research and supply management;
80More than 60 multinational companies produce potent APIs, nutraceuticals, biologics and products, vaccines, and CDMO services for biotechnology companies;
More than 60 More than 30 global research teams conduct antibody research, vaccines and cell therapies
.
▲Multinational MNCs, SMEs and start-ups are scattered across the island
Singapore is also moving upstream to research and innovation
.
Today, there are more than 24,000 production staff and more than 2,000 researchers in Singapore's
biomedical industry.
There are 5 times as many biomedical researchers per 100,000 inhabitants in Singapore as in the United States:
There are 5 times as many biomedical researchers per 100,000 inhabitants in Singapore as in the United States: In 2018, there were 128 biomedical researchers per 100,000 inhabitants in Singapore and 24 in the US
.
Singapore is internationally competitive in a number of research fields such as ophthalmology, immunology, infectious diseases, etc.
:
In ophthalmology, the Singapore Eye Institute ranks first in the world in ophthalmic publications per capita, and ranks highly
in glaucoma and retinal vascular research.
In the field of immunology, 4 researchers are listed as the most respected scientists in the world; It has the production and implementation capabilities of CAR-T cell therapy, and actively researches to break through the bottleneck
in the production process of cell therapy.
In the field of infectious diseases, the first country in the world to solve the problem of Zika virus structure and antibody complex; the third country in the world to successfully culture the SARS Cov 2 strain; Dengue fever research ranked 20th in the world; Developed the first physical serological antibody tester for the coronavirus pandemic
.
These reserve R&D capabilities add to Singapore's
attractiveness.
(2) High
international recognition of regulatory standards.
international recognition of regulatory standards.
Singapore is a member of the International Standards (PIC/S) and the Regulatory Network (ACCESS, ORBIS), and Singapore's regulatory work is highly
accepted in member countries.
For example, ACCESS, a regulator, is a group of members including Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore and the United Kingdom
.
Members meet regularly to exchange information on issues and challenges, better harmonize regulatory regimes, and reduce unnecessary duplication and disagreement
.
This allows for greater harmonization
of regulatory standards for different therapies for biosimilars and generic drugs.
ORBIS is a framework for
the simultaneous submission and review of antitumor drugs between the FDA and member countries' drug administrations.
Regulators include the United States, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Brazil, Israel and the United Kingdom
.
Some Chinese companies have already set up clinical trials in Singapore, such as the above-mentioned Tianyan Pharmaceutical
.
(3) The free trade network is developed, which has created strong conditions
for distribution, export and clinical practice.
for distribution, export and clinical practice.
Singapore's free trade network, trade routes and efficient import and export regulations create an enabling environment
for biopharmaceutical companies to conduct distribution, export-oriented manufacturing and global clinical trials in Singapore.
Healthcare logistics service providers such as Zuellig and Catalent have established their temperature-controlled, GMP-certified supply centers to support the import and export of clinical trial materials and pharmaceuticals
from Singapore.
Singapore has also built a number of leased biomedical and medtech manufacturing centres to cope with smaller-scale industrial activities
.
At the same time, Singapore's geopolitical stability is important
for financing, attracting and retaining talent and industrial activity.
How can EDB help?
How can EDB help? When companies settle in Singapore, if they want to understand authoritative industry trends and understand comprehensive government support policies, they must deal
with the Singapore Economic Development Board to which He Xinqian belongs.
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is a statutory government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, responsible for planning and implementing Singapore's development strategy, promoting investment and industrial development, working closely with domestic and foreign enterprises, informing them, building partnerships, and providing government incentives for enterprises to invest in Singapore
.
At present, the Singapore Economic Development Board has 18 offices around the world and three offices in China, which assist enterprises to develop
in Singapore by connecting with local enterprises and founders.
Favor "Innovative Enterprise + CXO + Supplier"
Favor "Innovative Enterprise + CXO + Supplier" "We welcome all Chinese biopharmaceutical companies to set up
in Singapore.
But at this stage of development, which companies are more suitable for the development of Singapore's fertile biomedical soil? I think there are three main groups
.
He Xinqian said
frankly.
The first category is innovative biotech companies, especially those with
differentiated projects and proprietary platform technologies.
differentiated projects and proprietary platform technologies.
Singapore can meet the needs
of its asset development and conversion, proof-of-concept, clinical trials, and commercialization.
These businesses will also create good collaboration opportunities for scientists, researchers and clinicians in Singapore; Singapore also has early access to novel treatments
.
The same applies to medical technology and device companies
that are ready to enter international markets.
The second category is CXOs
with projects, global customer channels, and highly automated testing and manufacturing processes.
Because these CXOs will meet the growing needs
of large, medium and small businesses.
with projects, global customer channels, and highly automated testing and manufacturing processes.
The third category, key suppliers
.
With the growing importance of supply chain resilience, there is a need to ensure that key suppliers are identified and targeted for existing capacity in Singapore; and consolidate supply chains
for new models (cell and gene therapy, vaccines, RNA).
.
Take multiple measures to address corporate concerns
Take multiple measures to address corporate concerns Although the interest of enterprises in "going to Singapore" is high, there are some concerns
.
The Singapore Economic Development Board addresses these issues
from a variety of perspectives.
For example, in the face of the biggest concern of enterprises - Southeast Asia covers many countries, and is diversified in terms of universal health insurance, population structure, economic growth and medical infrastructure, how to correctly grasp the Southeast Asian market? How to adapt to the regulatory environment from drug discovery to market authorization?
▲Case studies in the white paper (partial)
The Singapore Economic Development Board and consulting firm ASK Health have jointly released a white paper on the health economics characteristics of the Southeast Asian region and regional regulatory harmonization efforts to help the company implement its overseas market strategy
.
The report also provides case studies
of Chinese companies expanding into ASEAN.
*Click at the end of the article to access the Southeast Asia Biomedical Handbook published by EDB
.
Concerns about the "lack of talent" are another major concern
for Chinese companies going overseas to Singapore.
The Singapore Economic Development Board has been investing in
talent development for many years.
Send local scientific and technological talents abroad for postdoctoral training; Launched the TechPass visa program for tech entrepreneurs, a Tech@SG program to support core team building international talent; In 2020, the Singapore Clinical Research and Innovation Alliance was established to strengthen the synergy between national clinical research and translation projects
.
▲Singapore Economic Development Board assists enterprises to land
"For companies interested in Singapore, we can provide information about Singapore's ecosystem to assist with overall business planning
.
For companies that meet Singapore's economic goals, we will also work together to develop development plans and provide supporting policies
.
”
Singapore's vision for the biopharmaceutical industry is to achieve a diversified innovation ecosystem for players in various corporate sectors, from large biopharma to start-ups, by 2030, to become the location of choice for innovative therapies and new models, and to further strengthen Singapore's medium- and long-term R&D capabilities to prevent, prepare for and respond to future epidemics
.
In this vision, Chinese biopharmaceutical companies will also be an important part of
it.
