Malaysia scores big success at global bio technology meet

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MALAYSIAN REPRESENTATIVE: Image shows Bio-XCell’s booth during the BIO Exhibition 2011 held at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre. Bio-XCell is Malaysia’s dedicated biotechnology ecosystem and park with a focus on manufacturing, research, development and commercialisation. — Bernama photo

WASHINGTON, July 1 (Bernama) – Malaysian Bio-XCell Sdn Bhd (Bio-XCell) said its participation in the four-day 2011 BIO International Convention (BIO DC 2011) that concluded here Thursday was a resounding success.

Its chief executive officer Raja Ridzwa Raja Abdul Aziz said the key achievements during the conference were that the company managed to pull off two major investments for its biotechnology park in Iskandar Malaysia worth to the tune of US$70 million.

Wrapping up Bio-XCell’s involvement for the second year in the BIO DC 2011, Raja Ridzwa told Malaysian journalists that Agila Specialities Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of one of India’s top pharmaceutical company, Strides Arcolabs Limited, would spend from US$40 million to US$60 million to set up a manufacturing facility at the biotechnology park.

The two-year old Bio-XCell, the investment arm of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), also sealed a strategic partner agreement with MOX-Linde Gases Sdn Bhd, to supply industrial gas for use of biotechnology companies located in the park.

MOX Linde will invest around US$10 million to install the gas distribution network within the park in the near to medium term.

Raja Ridzwa also said the company held one-to-one meetings with 40 biotechnology companies, mainly from the US, Europe and South Asia, including India and Pakistan, on the sidelines of the conference.

He said many of the companies showed deep interest and wanted to know further about Bio-XCell, and many would also send their officials to Malaysia soon to look at its facilities in Iskandar Malaysia.

Raja Ridzwa said he was confident that by the end of the year Bio-XCell would be able to strike several more new deals with these companies.

He said the companies were interested in clinical research organisations, drug discovery and nutraceutical.

Meanwhile, BiotechCorp’s chief operating officer Dr Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Yaacob said the corporation’s achievement was that it was able to get Malaysia the world recognition as a regional and global player in the biotechnology industry.

He said the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), the world’s largest biotechnology body, had given the recognition to Malaysia by asking Kuala Lumpur to co-host its annual Pacific Rim Summit that was traditionally held in the US since its inception five years ago.

Wan Abdul Rahman said another mark of recognition was when BIO gave the honour to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to officially open BIO DC 2011, the first ever by a foreign leader.

He said BiotechCorp’s chief executive officer Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood was also given the opportunity to appear as one of the main speakers at the Scientific American Super Session of BIO DC 2011 chaired by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

He said with these new developments, he was confident that the target set in the National Biotechnology Policy (NBP) to attract RM9 billion in investment and contribute 4.5 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product could be achieved in the next five years.

The NBP long-term target to earn further revenue of RM50 billion and create employment opportunity of 80,000 could also be achieved by 2015, he added.

–- BERNAMA ZAW TOM

BIOTECHNOLOGY-SUCCESS-p1 MALAYSIAN REPRESENTATIVE: Image shows Bio-XCell’s booth during the BIO Exhibition 2011 held at the Walter E.Washington Convention Centre.

Bio-XCell is Malaysia’s dedicated biotechnology ecosystem and park with a focus on manufacturing, research, development and commercialisation.

– Bernama photoWASHINGTON: Malaysian Bio-XCell Sdn Bhd (Bio-XCell) said its participation in the four-day 2011 BIO International Convention (BIO DC 2011) that concluded here Thursday was a resounding success.

Its chief executive officer Raja Ridzwa Raja Abdul Aziz said the key achievements during the conference were that the company managed to pull off two major investments for its biotechnology park in Iskandar Malaysia worth to the tune of US$70 million.

Wrapping up Bio-XCell’s involvement for the second year in the BIO DC 2011, Raja Ridzwa told Malaysian journalists that Agila Specialities Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of one of India’s top pharmaceutical company, Strides Arcolabs Limited, would spend from US$40 million to US$60 million to set up a manufacturing facility at the biotechnology park.

The two-year old Bio-XCell, the investment arm of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), also sealed a strategic partner agreement with MOX-Linde Gases Sdn Bhd, to supply industrial gas for use of biotechnology companies located in the park.

MOX Linde will invest around US$10 million to install the gas distribution network within the park in the near to medium term.

Raja Ridzwa also said the company held one-to-one meetings with 40 biotechnology companies, mainly from the US, Europe and South Asia, including India and Pakistan, on the sidelines of the conference.

He said many of the companies showed deep interest and wanted to know further about Bio-XCell, and many would also send their officials to Malaysia soon to look at its facilities in Iskandar Malaysia.

Raja Ridzwa said he was confident that by the end of the year Bio-XCell would be able to strike several more new deals with these companies.

He said the companies were interested in clinical research organisations, drug discovery and nutraceutical.

Meanwhile, BiotechCorp’s chief operating officer Dr Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Yaacob said the corporation’s achievement was that it was able to get Malaysia the world recognition as a regional and global player in the biotechnology industry.

He said the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), the world’s largest biotechnology body, had given the recognition to Malaysia by asking Kuala Lumpur to co-host its annual Pacific Rim Summit that was traditionally held in the US since its inception five years ago.

Wan Abdul Rahman said another mark of recognition was when BIO gave the honour to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to officially open BIO DC 2011, the first ever by a foreign leader.

He said BiotechCorp’s chief executive officer Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood was also given the opportunity to appear as one of the main speakers at the Scientific American Super Session of BIO DC 2011 chaired by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

He said with these new developments, he was confident that the target set in the National Biotechnology Policy (NBP) to attract RM9 billion in investment and contribute 4.5 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product could be achieved in the next five years.

The NBP long-term target to earn further revenue of RM50 billion and create employment opportunity of 80,000 could also be achieved by 2015, he added.