Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), September 07, 2006 21:28 PM

Inno Bio Propels Msia's Entrance Into Contract Manufacturing Market

NILAI, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Inno Biologics is set to propel Malaysia's entrance into contract manufacturing market for biopharmaceuticals thus creating new economic opportunities in biotechnology industry.

A contract manufacturer organisation specialising in biomanufacturing of mammalian cell culture-based biopharmaceuticals, Inno Biologics Sdn Bhd was incorporated in March 2002 and is the flagship company of Inno Bio Ventures Sdn Bhd.

Inno Bio Ventures is a Ministry of Finance Incorporated company and partly owned by the Malaysian Industry Group of High Technology (MIGHT).

Inno Biologics' biomanufacturing complex was completed in July this year and the RM200 million project also houses its process development laboratory and Malaysia's first current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility for biopharmaceutical.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Thursday officiated the facilities in Putra Nilai, marking another milestone of the government's commitment towards creating a knowledge-based economy.

Its vice president, Process Science & Biomanufacturing, Dr Badarulhisam Abdul Rahman said several foreign and local companies are keen to set up their operations here by end of the year.

"Our target clients will be foreign biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies from developed countries. These companies undertake drug discovery and development activities and possess biological drugs in the pipeline which are ready to go into clinical testing," he said.

Inno Bio could serve as contract manufacturer for clinical grade materials as the products must be manufactured in cGMP environment, he said.

Badarulhisam said the lists of technical expertise and services offered by Inno Biologics include cell line development and engineering, hybridoma technology and antibody production.

It also include mammalian cell culture medium development, cell banking, protein separation and purification, process flow modeling, biotech management and clinical material production.

Badarulhisam said the facility is expected not only to increase Malaysia's biotech competency in the Asian region but commercialisation of pipeline products from the research and development sector.

"The state-of-the-art CGMP facility consists of 1,000 litre bioreactor, which is adequate for the production of clinical grade products," he said.

The global pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market reveals that revenue in the industry totalled US$12.38 billion in 2004 and is predicted to reach US$25.70 billion in 2011.

-- BERNAMA