The Edge, 14 June 2006
Net Value: Biotech Corp
is transparent
By Karamjit Singh and Lee Wei Lian 12:33PM (14-06-2006)
In the second part of our interview with Iskandar Mizal
Mahmood, CEO of Malaysian Biotech Corporation (Biotech
Corp), he talks about pushing ahead and marketing Malaysia
as an ideal place to conduct clinical trials. While the
racial diversity of Malaysia makes it attractive, there
is one major hurdle to overcome. Malaysia does not offer
the standard five-year protection for data submitted by
drug companies for new drug introduction into the country.
This gaping hole in intellectual property protection can
throw a spanner in the works for any plan to market the
country as a clinical trials destination. According to
an industry observer, the government is aware of the situation,
workshops have been conducted for the relevant ministries
and even the Health Minister has been briefed, but there
is silence on this front. Iskandar also addresses the
lack of news about incentives and BioNexus and gamely
takes on some criticisms leveled at him by some in the
scientific community.
What plans do you have in the Contract Research Organisation
space?
Malaysia has been doing clinical trials for a long time.
Our Clinical Research Centre or CRC at Kuala Lumpur Hospital
is very experienced and recognised for the good work it
does. (CRC is the clinical research arm of the Ministry
of Health. It conducts clinical trials, clinical epidemiology
and economic research and manages complex medical databases.)
We have been doing Phase 3 and Phase 4 trials and want
to move into Phase 1 and Phase 2. Why? Because we have
the capability to do it. The way we see it, this is a
matter of marketing what we have to let the world know
of our capabilities. I know there will be those who will
raise the guinea pig question but I have personally seen
how these trials offer hope to people who are suffering
from health problems with no current cure. Also, the world
of pharmaceuticals and therapeutics is heading towards
personalised medicine. Malaysia has a powerful proposition
to offer pharmaceutical and biotech firms with its multiracial
makeup. These companies can test the efficacy of drugs
for certain genotypes here. Just imagine what we can offer
the world. But we have to move beyond the guinea pig argument.
We have enough doctors certified by the Ministry of Health
as Good Clinical Practitioners (GCPs) who can administer
these trials. We have the variousuniversity hospitals
too, which can offer a diverse patient and sample group.
What we will do to make the whole process easier is to
perhaps become the central depository for GCPs to make
it easier for companies to identify and find a match for
their needs.
Why have you not announced the incentives for biotech
companies and the proposed Bill of Guarantees for BioNexus
companies or even the criteria for how one can qualify
for BioNexus status? This is giving the impression that
things are moving slowly. Actually, the incentives for
biotech companies and the BioNexus criteria were already
finalised quite a while ago and actively promoted during
BIO 06 in Chicago. It is just that we have not formally
announced it here. Anyway, I have given you the information
now to share with readers. (See charts and netv@lue2.0
issue 601).
There is a concern that we are short of talent for the
various skills needed in biotech. Out of the 17 public
institutes of higher learning, only seven offer courses
related to biotech and related sciences. Out of 37 government
research institutes, only five focus on biotech and related
sciences. What are you doing? You are right, we do need
to increase the talent pipeline, but that is something
for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
to tackle, especially in relation to research and development.
On our side, we will offer specific training for the needs
of the companies we are targeting. For
instance, if a company is going to do contract manufacturing
here, we will find out their needs and will make sure
we have the type of skill set they need by the time the
plant is ready. We also target to have a certain number
of Malaysians to work with some of these companies to
further develop our human capital.
There have been criticisms on the performance of Malaysia
during the recent BIO 06 in Chicago. What is your reaction
to the many comments made about us not being focused and
presenting a strong story about biotech in Malaysia?
I have to be very frank with you. There is a lot of frustration
on my side. Our objective of going was very clear. We
want to assist our companies by exposing them to the global
biotech landscape and how business is done at that level.
We wanted them to see the relationship between commercialisation,
research and markets. But I was taken aback by the criticism.
We sent letters out to all biotech companies and took
10 on a first-come, first-served basis. It has to be made
clear here that we are just the facilitators. We offered
the industry BIO Chicago as a platform; they have to seize
the opportunities that present themselves there. But if
people don't want to take them and now want to talk bad?
Some scientists have said Biotech Corp is not transparent
in the people you hire for positions available. Some have
inquired but have not received any information on what
kind of people you need, only to see the jobs filled later.
This is another thing I clearly don't understand and that
we have to overcome. We are very transparent about this.
All of us are on two to three-year contracts and we advertise
every position in the newspapers. It actually costs us
a lot to take out full-page ads and even my board has
asked me about this cost. We also advertise all positions
on our website and have used an executive recruitment
company to help us fill some of the key positions. I really
don't know how else to answer this.
Another observation scientists make is that you don't
really engage with them. You fly all over the world trying
to woo big companies here but can't meet with researchers
here. Your comments?
If I don't meet scientists here, how do you think I can
know what research they are doing which I then share with
the companies I am trying to woo to Malaysia. I was a
venture capitalist before and have met with many scientists.
I think they feel I can help them get funding for their
research programmes but that is not the focus of Biotech
Corp. To say we have not interacted with them is not true.
We called all the research institutes and universities
for many dialogues, which we still carry out. I see the
various vice-chancellors all the time too to find out
what is going on. But really, if the scientists feel this
way, then I will engage with them personally and make
them feel a greater part of the process.
Finally, does your team work well together? It is a bit
disturbing but some say the vice-presidents don't really
support each other and work well together. You have to
be more specific because I can't really see this happening.
We are all working very smoothly to attract foreign firms
over and I have not seen any issues. Of course we disagree
with each other but this is healthy discussion when planning
things. |
