AZ teams up with Singapore cancer centers

AstraZeneca has forged a new partnership with the National Cancer Centre Singapore and the National University Hospital to develop anti-cancer compounds. The deal covers both clinical and pre-clinical development of therapies for inoperable Hepatocellular Carcinoma, a liver cancer. In a statement, AstraZeneca said the partnership would further its drug development activities in Asia.

"Singapore is one of Asia's fastest growing bio-clusters and offers excellent IP protection, a population base representative of Asia, world-class scientific and clinical infrastructure as well as access to global talent," said Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Executive Director, Biomedical Sciences, Singapore Economic Development Board. "AstraZeneca joins an expanding base of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that have chosen to develop new drugs and therapies in Singapore."

Over the last several years, Singapore has aggressively pursued a strategies to attract biotech business, pouring $8 billion over to further strengthen R&D capabilities. The city-state twice landed on FierceBiotech's list of the top five regions for biotech business. GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech and Eli Lilly are among a number of drug developers that have opened operations in Singapore.

- check out AstraZeneca's release

Related Articles:
Pharma outsourcing continues to swell
Research (and marketing) heads to Asia
Asia offers big discounts to drug developers
Asian countries push big pharma boom