"APAC has one of the fastest drug discovery innovation speeds in the world"
BioSpectrum Asia|July 2023
U S-headquartered West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, has recently inaugurated its newly advanced manufacturing facility in Jurong, Singapore. This is part of West's commitment to invest more than $350 million globally in 2023. Alagu Subramaniam, Senior Director, Sales and Commercial Operations, Asia Pacific, West Pharmaceutical Services shares more details about this new facility in a candid chat with BioSpectrum Asia. Edited excerpts;
Dr Manbeena Chawla manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com
"APAC has one of the fastest drug discovery innovation speeds in the world"

How will the new facility benefit Singapore’s thriving pharmaceutical and biomedical ecosystem?

The Singapore Jurong plant is now more than four decades old and has played a key role in servicing our customers and patients in their needs, both locally and regionally in the healthcare industry.

With the upgrade, West is now able to manufacture advanced, high-quality containment products for injectable drugs from start to finish in a single location, which will reduce overall lead time in production. This enables us to offer a world-class supply chain to our customers across the region and help deliver life-saving drugs, life-enhancing solutions, and revolutionary medicines to patients quickly.

The Jurong facility is the only one in Asia Pacific (APAC) under the advanced manufacturing value stream for West and is one of the five sites for West’s global high-value product (HVP) capacity expansion worldwide. With both the pharmaceutical and advanced manufacturing sectors being key to Singapore government’s ‘Manufacturing 2030’ Plan, we believe we are in a unique position to support Singapore with its manufacturing ambitions.

In the last three years, we have invested over $700 million in capital expenditures, with the majority used to expand capacity across our existing sites, including the Jurong facility. Additionally, we are investing more than $350 million globally in 2023 to ensure that our capabilities and capacity evolve in tandem with the needs of our customers.

Lastly, this investment and upgrade supports Singapore in achieving a complete supply chain manufacturing capability for future vaccine response.

Are you recruiting new talent in this facility, and under what expertise?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2023 من BioSpectrum Asia.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2023 من BioSpectrum Asia.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BIOSPECTRUM ASIA مشاهدة الكل
New South Wales government injects $5M for critical research to address Silicosis crisis
BioSpectrum Asia

New South Wales government injects $5M for critical research to address Silicosis crisis

The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia has committed $5 million in critical funding for silicosis research and a patient support programme for individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust.

time-read
1 min  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
Singapore approves new asthma indication for GSK's Trelegy Ellipta
BioSpectrum Asia

Singapore approves new asthma indication for GSK's Trelegy Ellipta

GSK Singapore has announced that the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved a new indication and a new strength for Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol 'FF/UMEC/VI') for the maintenance treatment of asthma in patients aged 18 years and older who are not adequately controlled with a combination of a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) and an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).

time-read
1 min  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
What's APAC's Recipe of Success in CLINICAL TRIALS MARKET?
BioSpectrum Asia

What's APAC's Recipe of Success in CLINICAL TRIALS MARKET?

Asia-Pacific APAC) is emerging as one of the most promising and resilient markets for clinical trials. According to a report by Clinical Trials Arena, between 2017 and 2022, the region posted growth in clinical trials of around 10 per cent, outstripping growth in other major regions including the US, Europe and the rest of the world RoW). Asia’s growth far exceeded the overall average figure of 5.3 per cent per year. As of 2023, the number of trials reached 14,346 in APAC. Let's delve into the thriving clinical research landscape in the region and explore the trends driving its growth.

time-read
10+ mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
From Haematologic to Autoimmune DiseaseThe CAR-T Therapy Second Revolution
BioSpectrum Asia

From Haematologic to Autoimmune DiseaseThe CAR-T Therapy Second Revolution

Cell and gene therapies have revolutionised the field of medicine, offering new treatment options for patients with various diseases that, by type of disease or severity, were considered untreatable until a few years ago. Rapid technological advancements in genetic and biological engineering and improvements in the quality and standardisation of the manufacturing process are fostering a marked increase in clinical development of these advanced therapies, generally named cell and gene therapies CGT), and they are expected to receive more approvals in the near future.

time-read
5 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
"Biotech startups still need support in terms of talent, and resources to bring their innovations to market"
BioSpectrum Asia

"Biotech startups still need support in terms of talent, and resources to bring their innovations to market"

Raymond Chow has recently stepped in as the Vice President, Asia Pacific at USheadquartered Cytiva, a global provider of technologies and services for biological therapies, formerly known as GE Healthcare Life Sciences.

time-read
5 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
"We are exploring opportunities to collaborate with startups and incubators"
BioSpectrum Asia

"We are exploring opportunities to collaborate with startups and incubators"

Agilent Technologies, a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, has named Padraig McDonnell CEO-elect and Chief Operating Officer (COO), succeeding current President and CEO Mike McMullen.

time-read
5 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
"Australia offers a simple, supportive and robust regulatory process to initiate human trials efficiently"
BioSpectrum Asia

"Australia offers a simple, supportive and robust regulatory process to initiate human trials efficiently"

US-based Uvax Bio, LLC, a spin-off vaccine company from Scripps Research, employs proprietary 1c-SApNP platform technology invented by Dr Jiang Zhu of Scripps Research to develop and commercialise prophylactic vaccines for challenging infectious diseases.

time-read
2 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
"Regulatory encouragement of advanced tech, including AI will accelerate clinical trials in APAC"
BioSpectrum Asia

"Regulatory encouragement of advanced tech, including AI will accelerate clinical trials in APAC"

Lokavant Holdings, a US-based clinical trial intelligence technology company provides clinical trial intelligence that enables study teams to make data-driven decisions, as well as risk-based quality management and monitoring services to pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations (CROs).

time-read
2 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
What Are the Main Challenges of Modern Clinical Trials?
BioSpectrum Asia

What Are the Main Challenges of Modern Clinical Trials?

With a cumulative total of almost 478,000 globally registered trials from the year 2000 to 2023, and growing at around 10 per cent a year in the last five years, the pharmaceutical industry continues to invest in clinical trials as the gold-standard test of therapeutic safety and efficacy. In addition, as the world’s economies and populations move in new directions, the share of non-US trials has reached 54 per cent, a trend that is likely to continue, driven by demographics and epidemiology. As the pace accelerates, trial managers and clinicians face a significant challenge: the explosive growth of data volumes. To succeed in the future, clinical trials need to increase efficiency and better utilise clinical trial data to support informed clinical and operational decision-making.

time-read
3 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024
How APAC Has Turned into Clinical Trial Behemoth
BioSpectrum Asia

How APAC Has Turned into Clinical Trial Behemoth

From being a consistent participant in clinical trial conduct worldwide, the APAC has emerged as a major power. A number of causes, including the region's thriving drug development innovation and the ongoing presence of international pharmaceutical corporations conducting multiregional studies, are driving this growth.

time-read
3 mins  |
BioSpectrum Asia May2024