12/5 Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly Newsletter
2022-12-06 |
| Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly |
| 1. Hon Hai builds a digital health alliance 2 December, 2022 In order to seize new global digital health business opportunities, Hon Hai Group (TW: 2317) with the support of the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Taiwan digital health alliance 'Harmony in Medical and Technology (HiMEDt)' jointly initiated by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), has formed a collective of 12 manufacturers to cooperate in this sector. The collective held its inaugural gathering at the Healthcare+ Expo in Taipei on 1 December, 2022. DoIT mentioned that the international research organization Global Market Insights predicted that global digital health markets reached US$195 billion in 2021 and will increase to US$780 billion in 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 16 percent. The digital health industry combines information and communication, artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies, with Taiwan, with its existing expertise in information technologies, being well placed to play a prominent role in this industry going forward. More... |
| 2. BRIM Biotechnology raises US$20 million in Series E funding round Press release 1 December, 2022 BRIM Biotechnology, Inc. (TW: 6885), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel regenerative therapies to help combat and cure ophthalmology and degenerative joint diseases, announced today that it has raised US$20 million in its Series E funding round. This demonstrates the heightened interest and growing demand for new treatments for Dry Eye Disease (DED). News of this latest funding round comes as BRIM prepares to initiate the Phase 3 clinical trial for its lead asset BRM421 for DED in the US. More... |
| 3. BRIM Biotechnology's new drug for neurotrophic keratitis receives US FDA Orphan Drug designation 30 November, 2022 BRM424, a new drug developed by BRIM Biotechnology (TW: 6885) for the treatment of neurotrophic keratitis (NK), was granted orphan drug designation by the US FDA, according to an announcement by the company. BRIM Biotechnology mentioned that BRM424 uses the same active ingredient (API) as BRM421, which has already been approved as a new drug and has completed Phase II/III clinical trials, and also uses Pigment Epithelial-Derived Factor (PEDF). More... (in Chinese) |
| 4. ASUS and National Taiwan University Hsinchu Branch jointly create AI voice recognition medical record management system 29 November, 2022 Following the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with National Taiwan University Hsinchu Branch last year, IT giant ASUS announced today that it had plans to further introduce its AI-driven voice recognition medical record management system into doctor's clinics, clinical nursing, and physical examination sites. Through the AI voice recognition and analysis model developed by ASUS, medical staff and patients can interact with their medical records in a more natural setting, at the same time reducing up to 30 percent of administrative burdens such as typing and paper record management, according to the company. More... (in Chinese) |
| 5. UBI Pharma's new AIDS drug completes bioequivalence test, will apply for drug approval from TFDA 29 November, 2022 UBI Pharma (TW: 6562) reported last week that its new compound drug NDF01 for the treatment of HIV infection has completed the bioequivalence test and will soon apply to Taiwan's FDA (TFDA) for marketing authorization. Test results show that the ratios ofNDF01's pharmacokinetic indicators all fall between 80-125%, which meets the standard for bioequivalence. More... (in Chinese) |
| 6. Medeologix Acquires Three Silicon Valley Medical Device CDMO Companies and Establishes One-Stop Shop Mass Production Facilities in Taiwan 28 November, 2022 Medeologix, a Taiwan MedTech CDMO company announces its successful acquisition of three premier medical device manufacturing companies to form an integrated full function service group. The newly formed Medeologix family of companies, with a combined footprint of 90,000 sq.ft, offers one-stop services from conceptual design to high-volume production. The three Silicon Valley companies, Mediballoon, MedeonBio and Second Source Medical, along with Medeologix with a mass production facility in Taiwan, form the vertically integrated services from medical tubing extrusion, balloon forming, catheter processing, final assembly to packaging and logistic services. Together, they work seamlessly to support their clients from concepts to quality finished medical products for the MedTech industry. More... |
| 7. TaiRx's new drug for inflammatory bowel disease to be licensed in 2023 25 November, 2022 According to Dr. Du-Shieng Chien, President and CEO of TaiRx, their new drug has been successfully developed into a tablet and is expected to complete animal trials next December, and authorization will not be ruled out next year. In addition, in order to expand its application, Zelnite, which is used to prevent and treat selenium deficiency, will also be made into a large-capacity 10cc and is expected to apply for a Taiwan drug license after the spring of next year. More... |
| 8. Shine-On BioMedical the first combines nano-multispecific antibodies and nucleic acid drug discovery 25 November, 2022 Shine-On BioMedical was listed by Taiwan's emerging market stock exchange with a reference price of $43. SOB101 is the first nucleic acid drug in Taiwan to be developed as an exosome-loaded nucleic acid and chemotherapy drug, and is expected to lead Taiwan's biomedical industry to take its place in the global nucleic acid industry. Shine-On BioMedical has two technology platforms for the development of tri-specific antibodies and one for exosome-loaded nucleic acids, and currently has five drugs in development that have entered the CDMO process and are expected to enter clinical trials in 2023. According to the company, SOA101 tri-specific T-cell conjugate antibodies have been shown in animal studies to have better efficacy than commercially available immune checkpoint monoclonal antibodies, with better inhibition of cancer cell growth and longer survival times in experimental animals. More... |
| 9. Retain Biotech signed a MOU with BioNTech 24 November, 2022 BioNTech, the coronavirus vaccine manufacturer, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan's Retain Biotech for cancer vaccine immunotherapy. The signing of the contract is "the most fulfilling day of my life", said Terry Guo, founder of Foxconn. More... |
| 10. Alzheimer's phase III in Singapore successfully unblinded, with Taiwan-based SCI Pharmtech the sole supplier of API 24 November, 2022 A Singaporean company TauRx Pharmaceuticals has developed a new oral drug for Alzheimer's disease with positive results in phase III clinical trials, which can reduce cognitive decline and brain atrophy in patients. Being a customer to SCI Pharmtech based in Taiwan, TauRx is expected to apply for a drug license next year, and its plants will also be inspected and certified at the same time. More... |
| 11. Belite Bio's new drug for AMD set to begin Phase III trials in 2023 20 November, 2022 Belite Bio, a recent subsidiary of Lin BioScience (TW: 6696), announced that after discussions with the US FDA, it had finalized the Phase III clinical trial design for its drug LBS-008 for the treatment of dry macular degeneration (AMD). The multi-center, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study is expected to recruit at least 300 patients with dry macular degeneration worldwide in the second quarter of next year. Lin BioScience in a press release stated that AMD is the main cause of blindness in the United States, with more 11 million in the United States and about 200 million people in the world suffering from this condition, with about 90 percent of them being dry AMD patients. To date, there is no cure. More... (in Chinese) |
| 12. Advantech and Pingtung Veterans General Hospital to build Taiwan's first large-scale, closed-loop medication hospital 21 November, 2022 Advantech, a leading industrial Internet of Things (IoT) company, recently announced that it has assisted Pingtung Veterans General Hospital with an innovative medication management model using the IoT, making it the first hospital in Taiwan to implement Closed Loop Medication Administration (CLMA) on a large scale to digitize medication management in the medical industry. More... |
| 13. TOYO's Lipo-AB receives US drug approval 19 November, 2022 TOYO Biotechnology (TW: 4105) announced recently that its micro-liposomal generic version of amphotericin B (Lipo-AB), a drug for the treatment of systemic invasive fungi, has been approved by the US FDA. In addition, the company has received a milestone payment of USD1 million from its distributor. TOYO is also the first Taiwanese pharmaceutical company to successfully distribute the generic version of amphotericin in the United States. TOYO plans to ship and launch the product in the first quarter of next year. Together with its partners, it will aim for a slice of the USD440 million per year US market for this drug. More... (in Chinese) |
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