Singapore's drug development efforts continue

Singapore’s drug development efforts have been given additional momentum with the introduction of two new platforms, and a grant scheme for drug discovery and development.

These national platforms aim to bridge the 'valley of death' between basic science research and pharmaceutical enterprises. They will also serve to catalyse collaboration across industry, research institutes, academia, and the hospitals; as well as nurture a strong pool of scientific talent for Singapore's biomedical ecosystem.

These announcements were made during the opening ceremony of the Experimental Drug Development Center (EDDC) in Biopolis, officiated by Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, and chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF).

The EDDC is a national platform for drug discovery and development to channel high potential drug candidates toward realising commercial outcomes for Singapore, as well as clinical outcomes that will benefit Singaporeans. The EDDC integrates A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Center (ETC), the clinical development unit known as Drug Discovery and Development (D3), and the Experimental Biotherapeutics Center (EBC). EDDC will leverage Singapore's competitive advantage in melding biomedical sciences, clinical medicine and engineering, to bring early drug targets to first-in-man clinical trials.

Also launched was the Target Translation Consortium (TTC), which brings together A*STAR, Duke-NUS Medical School, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, National Healthcare Group, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, and SingHealth. Helmed by the EDDC, this new TTC coordinates early-stage drug discovery efforts across academia, healthcare institutions, and government agencies. This collaborative approach is an important competitive edge for Singapore's biomedical ecosystem amidst an increasingly sophisticated drug discovery and development space.

STDR grant scheme

To complement these two new platforms, the Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR) grant scheme was also announced. The STDR consolidates three separate schemes by A*STAR, the National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC), as well as the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART); into a new grant that funds early-stage projects up to S$750,000 (US$551,470). It combines the expertise and resources of all three organizations, streamlining the assessment and feedback process for promising drug discovery and development projects. This ensures that projects with high potential are adequately funded without undue delay, which strengthens the pipeline of home-grown drug candidates.

Singapore's investments in biomedical sciences have been making steady progress, with made-in-Singapore cancer drug candidates now moving into clinical trials and commercialization. The biomedical sciences sector has also seen a positive growth trajectory of home-grown biomedical companies. Singapore now has close to 100 local biotech companies, which collectively contributed more than US$350 million in deal flows in 2018 alone. In 2017, Singapore's three largest biotech companies were reported to have an estimated collective valuation of more than US$1 billion.