The Star, June 20, 2008
Biotech boost for
Malacca
By FOO YEE PING
SAN DIEGO: A RM450mil integrated biotechnology
facility to be built in Malacca is expected to boost
Malaysia’s focus on life science, besides expanding
its pool of knowledge workers.
The facility in Alor Gajah will commercialise
biotherapeutics, which is the use of biotechnology
to produce drugs for diseases such as diabetes and
cancer.
Vivo Bio Tech Ltd (India), Melaka Biotech Holdings
and Vanguard Creative Technologies Sdn Bhd are
involved in the project.
Malacca, which would provide land for the project,
holds a 20% stake through Melaka Biotech while Vivo
owns 51% and Vanguard (29%).
“This project will contribute towards building
Malaysia as a biotechnology hub, besides developing
expertise in drug discovery and development,” said
Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, chief executive
officer of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation,
which facilitated the agreement.
The three parties exchanged documents here on
Wednesday at the sidelines of the four-day 2008 BIO
International Convention which ends today. It was
witnessed by Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and Malacca chief
minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.
Vivo Bio, a Hyderabad-based research firm, deals in
biotechnology and pharma drug discovery activities
while Vanguard is an investment holding company,
which would arrange the financing of the project,
besides seeing to the legal and statutory work.
Vivo Bio chairman emeritus Vishwanath Komplella said
foreign companies such as his would look at the
speed of regulatory approvals in picking the
location for a biotechnology facility.
“We want the approvals to happen fast. This is one
reason that Malaysia can be above the rest of
everybody else,” he said.
Mohd Ali said the state had captured foreign
investments worth US$2bil (RM6.5bil) so far.
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