CHINA HEALTH SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
Vol. 4 , No.19 - December 15, 2003
TOPICS THIS ISSUE:
- Top Chinese Drug Maker Joins Singapore Start-up in TCM Venture
- Vion Receives Initial Payment from Beijing Pason License Agreement
- China Works out New Device to Detect Genetically Modified Products
- Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to Conduct Clinical Tests of Sars Vaccine Soon
LEHMAN, LEE & XU China Law Teleseminars |
Top Chinese Drug Maker Joins Singapore Start-up in TCM Venture
One is a giant Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer, the other just a small two-year-old Singapore start-up engaged in the research and development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products. But they are coming together in a joint-venture that will see the Shanghai-listed North China Pharmaceutical inject S$6 million into a 40 percent stake in Henan Han's TCM Biotechnology of Singapore.
The joint-venture is already making plans to set up an R&D and manufacturing base here, and list on the Singapore Exchange in two years' time. Henan Han TCM Biotechnology's expertise is in the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine products.
11 TCM products the start-up has developed, three of which have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority for distribution. It even has products that it claims are effective against the SARS virus and will be putting them through clinical trials. The firm's current intellectual property rights are valued at S$15 million. These products are developed by company chairman, Dr Han Zhen Shan, a famous TCM physician from China's Henan province.
Dr Han is regularly consulted on health matters by top-ranking Chinese officials, including ministers. Together with Singapore partners, Dr Han set up Henan Han TCM to conduct his R&D here, in order to take advantage of the Singapore government's many incentives like tax breaks and research grants.
"The Chinese market is the biggest potential market that we are targetting. That is why the venture with North China Pharmaceutical Company is a good synergy for us to tap the market in China," said Christopher Sim, chief executive of Henen Han's TCM Biotechnology. "Our partners have a wide distribution network. Actually they supply to 10,000 hospitals and 50,000 clinics in China," he said.
(Source: MCN International)
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Vion Receives Initial Payment from Beijing Pason License Agreement
Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced recently that the Company had received the initial payment of US$500,000 from Beijing Pason Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Pason") associated with the recently signed license agreement to develop Triapine(R). Under this agreement, Pason obtained exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and market Triapine(R) for anticancer and antiviral uses in the mainland of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao (the "Territory").
Dr. Sen Liu, Chief Executive of Pason, said, "Our plan is to initiate clinical trials of Triapine(R) for the treatment of cancer in the first half of 2004." He added, "Also in 2004, Pason plans to extend preclinical testing of Triapine(R) for antiviral uses, and to conduct additional preclinical studies of a Triapine(R) oral formulation, which demonstrated excellent absorption in a preliminary clinical study conducted by Vion. An oral formulation will significantly expand the development opportunities for Triapine(R) in both cancer and antiviral applications."
Alan Kessman, Chief Executive Officer of Vion, said, "The license agreement with Pason will broaden the development of Triapine(R) by exploring new cancer and non-cancer indications, as well as add to the evaluation of the oral formulation. We are pleased with the progress and aggressive timetable set forth by Pason to move Triapine(R) forward into human trials in the Territory."
Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel agents for the treatment of cancer. Beijing Pason Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Pason") is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer and anti-HBV drugs.
(Source: PR Newswire Association)
China Works out New Device to Detect Genetically Modified Products
Amid consumer concerns over transgenic crops, Chinese scientists have worked out a device that can tell in 50 minutes if a farm produce has been genetically modified. The reagent box, independently developed by a bio-technology center under the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, can screen out transgenic soybean, grape, corn and other agricultural products.
The device is very close to similar products on the global market in terms of sensitivity and accuracy, but is only half their price, according to sources with the State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, one of its first users. Researchers with the academy say the reagent box has been put into mass production, and 1,000 to 2,000 pieces are being produced each month.
Though the effects of transgenic technology is still debated by scientists around the world, an official with the State Environmental Protection Administration has warned that China has the world's fourth largest area of transgenic crops, after the United States, Canada and Argentina. Currently, genetically modified crop growing areas in China exceed 650,000 hectares and six genetically modified plants, including soybean and rice, have been approved.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to Conduct Clinical Tests of Sars Vaccine Soon
China is expected to conduct clinical experiments of a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by the end of December this year, leading the world in the search for the world's first vaccine against the deadly disease. Yin Hongzhang, head of the Biological Product Section of the State Food and Drug Administration, said the administration is expected to approve clinical tests of the vaccine by the end of December. Pre-clinical experiments of the vaccine have been completed.
China has produced about 1,400 shots of the vaccine, and another 20,000 shots will be packaged and inspected by quality control experts. Tests of the vaccine on monkeys showed it was effective in fighting against SARS infection after the animals were exposed to the virus, and there were no serious side effects.
Scientists with the company began to develop the vaccine at the end of April this year after the outbreak of SARS on the Chinese mainland. Medical experts around the world have warned that SARS might return, and China remains on alert against the disease. The Ministry of Health said there have been neither clinically confirmed nor suspected SARS cases on the Chinese mainland since Aug. 16, when the last SARS patient on the mainland was discharged from hospital.
(Source: Business Wire)
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