In this issue

BIG PHARMA RE-HASH MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Known to the world by many names, Marijuana, Cannabis, MJ, Pot, weed or Ganjika in Sanskrit and Ganja in Hindi, this ancient plant has been known to the ancient Indians and Chinese for its medicinal benefits. Ayurvedic texts known as Samhitas have extolled the many benefits of this widely available green wonder. Yet, due to misconceptions, willful or otherwise had shrouded it for many centuries. While there are numerous medicinal properties that can be applied, misuse of the plant could also have disastrous consequences, especially if used as an addictive derivative. The global medical cannabis market is set to reach $3.2 billion by 2025, according to GlobalData. With big pharma taking notice and interest in the sector, the cannabis industry is at the brink of a revolution. BioSpectrum deep dives in to the fascination of big pharma in the cannabis space, how will this disrupt the cannabis industry and most importantly how the pharmaceutical cannabis sector should be regulated?

Singapore approves first commercial CAR-T therapy by Novartis

Novartis has announced that Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved Kymriah as the first commercial chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in Singapore under the new cell, tissue and gene therapy products (CTGTP) regulatory framework.

1 min

India Forms New Partnership To Push Healthcare Innovations

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country, has partnered with Aster DM Healthcare to support proactively the mission’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country with an aim to change and improve health care innovations and outcomes.

1 min

Japan To Create New Services For Clinical Trials, Drug Development

National Cancer Center Japan (NCCJ), established by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, has entered into a partnership with Fujitsu to explore ways that real-world data, including medical information from electronic records, can be leveraged to contribute to the development of new drugs, clinical trials, and preventive medicine in pharmaceutical companies.

1 min

Wugen, Alpha Biopharma bring cancer cell therapies to Asia

Wugen Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel universal natural killer (NK) and T-cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, has announced that it has entered into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Shanghai-based Alpha Biopharma Inc. to manufacture, develop, and commercialize its allogeneic cell products in Asia, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan region and Singapore.

1 min

Seegene's New Covid-19 Test Can Recognize 10 Virus Variants

Seegene, a South Korea based biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, has finished the development of the world’s first-ever variant diagnostic test that can simultaneously detect COVID-19 and screen multiple virus variants, with a single multiplex real-time PCR testing.

1 min

Google Assistant Invests In Mental Health AI App Wysa

Google, via its assistant investment programme, has invested an undisclosed amount in Wysa, the artificial intelligence (AI) based Indian mental health startup, marking the fund’s first investment in Asia.

1 min

UK Grants Additional Funds To Vaccines Manufacturing Centre

The Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) has been granted an additional £47.6 million by the UK government to support the expansion and acceleration of the programme.

1 min

Argentina Launches Digital Services For Pandemic Management

The Argentina government has presented new digital services for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country: the Cuidar Escuelas platform, for registering suspected and confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in educational establishments; the digital vaccination card against the disease and the registry so that the personnel, who work in educational institutions can register their wish to receive the vaccine.

1 min

Big Pharma Re-Hash Medical Marijuana

Known to the world by many names, Marijuana, Cannabis, MJ, Pot, weed or Ganjika in Sanskrit and Ganja in Hindi, this ancient plant has been known to the ancient Indians and Chinese for its medicinal benefits.

10 mins

“China and India… to play a vital role in supplying COVID-19 vaccines globally”

“China and India… to play a vital role in supplying COVID-19 vaccines globally”

2 mins

Read all stories from BioSpectrum Asia

BioSpectrum Asia Magazine Description:

BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a monthly magazine published by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communication in India. It is a leading biotechnology magazine in Asia, covering a wide range of topics related to the biotechnology industry, including:

* Biotechnology news and trends: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology news and trends from India and around the world.
* Biotechnology company profiles and interviews: The magazine profiles leading biotechnology companies in Asia and interviews their CEOs and other top executives.
* Biotechnology research and development: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology research and development from academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies.
* Biotechnology product reviews: The magazine reviews the latest biotechnology products and services.
* Biotechnology industry events: BioSpectrum Asia covers biotechnology industry events from around the world.

BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a must-read for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest advances in biotechnology and their potential to impact the world around us.