Singapore Pharma News: Evotec’s 65LAB; Novo Nordisk’s KBP Biosciences Hypertension Acquistion

The latest pharma news from Singapore, including J&J Innovation’s continued investment in Singapore; Evotec’s new Singaporean venture, 65LAB; BeiGene’s cancer drug approval in the country; Novo Nordisk’s acquisition of local biotech KBP Biosciences’ late-stage investigational hypertension drug, and Crown Bioscience/JSR Life Sciences’ new manufacturing facility.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation Launches Singapore QuickFire Challenge with the Singapore Economic Development Board (CISION)

Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. announced today at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) the call for participation in the Singapore QuickFire Challenge (QFC), where innovators with the best potential solution will be awarded grant funding from a pool of USD 100,000 for further development.

The announcement follows the launch of a first-of-its-kind, “universal” collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) that will embed the services and resources of JLABS to accelerate innovation within Singapore’s life science ecosystem and the wider Asia Pacific region, under a pioneering new collaboration model for Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

65LAB Launches in Partnership with Evotec SE and Backed by Leading Global Investors to Advance Drug Discovery and New Company Creation in Singapore (CISION)

Lightstone Ventures, ClavystBio, Leaps by Bayer, Polaris Partners, and the Polaris Innovation Fund, along with global life science company Evotec SE, today announced the launch of 65LAB to advance drug discovery and the creation of new therapeutics companies in Singapore.

The first collaboration of its kind in Singapore, 65LAB was initiated by Lightstone Ventures with Evotec to leverage the global capabilities of its partners – including financing, networks, company creation, and drug development expertise — to identify and accelerate the commercialization of the most promising research from top academic and R&D institutions in Singapore, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS Medical School (a collaboration between Duke University and NUS). 65LAB aims to combine Evotec’s end-to-end integrated R&D platform and product development strength with Singapore’s first-class academic and translational science, it’s growing biotech infrastructure and capabilities to ultimately create breakthrough therapies with a global health impact.

MiyaHealth obtains ISO Certification and a CE Mark for its Chronic Disease Management Platform (BioSpectrum Asia)

MiyaHealth, a Singapore-headquartered global SaaS HealthTech, announced that it has secured ISO 13845:2016 certification and a CE Mark for GensuApp, its Chronic Disease Management Platform created in partnership with Bioton S.A., a Poland-based biotech company. In compliance with the European Union (EU) Medical Devices Regulatory Approval 2017/745, the CE Mark renders GensuApp as a Class 1 medical device, and allows MiyaHealth to place the product in Europe. Developed under MiyaHealth’s proprietary product suite MiyaPatient, GensuApp focuses on diabetes management for patients, and it will be rolled out in Poland in the coming year.

Singapore’s Cancer Drug List adds BeiGene’s Zanubrutinib for multiple indications (BioSpectrum Asia)

China’s BeiGene, a global, science-driven biotechnology company, has announced that its anti-cancer drug zanubrutinib, a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), has been added to Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MoH) Cancer Drug List (CDL) for multiple indications.

The CDL is the MoH’s approved list of clinically proven and more cost-effective cancer treatments. Only drugs on the CDL are reimbursable for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) under Singapore’s MediShield Life (MSHL), MediSave (MSV) and Integrated Shield Plans (IPs).

Berjaya Group unit Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings to seek Catalist IPO (The Business Times)

HEALTHCARE service provider Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings (SIAMH) is seeking to list on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange, according to the company’s preliminary prospectus lodged on Nov 24.

The company is a subsidiary of Bursa Malaysia-listed Berjaya Group, a conglomerate that has multiple business verticals including consumer marketing, property, food and beverage, gaming as well as hotels and recreation.

Novo in $1.3B Deal Buys Late-Stage Hypertension Drug from Singapore Biotech (BioSpace)

Novo Nordisk on Monday announced that it is acquiring the late-stage investigational hypertension drug ocedurenone from Singapore-based biotech KBP Biosciences for up to $1.3 billion.

Ocedurenone is currently being assessed in the Phase III CLARION-CKD study, which is still in the recruitment process and has an enrollment target of 600 patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and uncontrolled hypertension, according to the study’s clinicaltrials.gov page. CLARION-CKD launched in July 2021 and has a primary completion date of September 2024.

Biotech incubator Flagship Pioneering opens regional office in Singapore (The Straits Times)

US-based life sciences venture firm Flagship Pioneering on Wednesday announced the opening of an office in Singapore, as it looks for opportunities to collaborate with the healthcare and life sciences industry in the Asia-Pacific.

Its expansion will allow it “to scale and grow the companies we have created through strategic partnerships” in the region, chief executive Noubar Afeyan said.

Crown Bioscience Opens Singapore Lab, Partners with JSR Life Sciences (Contract Pharma)