NRPB Director Yang Pan-chyr (second left) and Glaxo Taiwan General Manager Thomas Willemsen display the memorandum May 7 in Taipei City. (CNA) Publication Date：05/07/2013 Source： Taiwan Today ByMeg Chang Taiwan's National Research Program for Biopharmaceuticals inked a memorandum of understanding on clinical vaccination trials with U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC May 7, further boosting local capabilities in this key biotech research area.Signed by NRPB Director Yang Pan-chyr and Glaxo Taiwan General Manager Thomas Willemsen in Taipei City, the pact calls for both organizations to collaborate on trialing vaccinations for diseases such as influenza type A and B, as well as tuberculosis and recurring lung cancer. Yang said the landmark agreement is Taiwan's largest clinical trial collaboration to date, and will focus on preventing some of the most common diseases around the world while benefiting millions of patients."We hope this memorandum will further cement our partnership with Glaxo and expect it to be the start of more joint projects with pharmaceutical firms worldwide," he said. "It should also help establish Taiwan as a front-runner in clinical trial research." According to Willemsen, Taiwan has always been an important Glaxo research partner in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 20 experiments taking place in the country representing 13 percent of the firm's projects worldwide."Taiwan possesses distinctive advantages in clinical trial research, including the ability to fast-track results, high reliability of data, and a plethora of medical professionals with international experience," Willemsen said.Glaxo has spent over NT$1 billion (US$33.89 million) on joint R&D activities with local medical institutions since 2007, and remains committed to partnering with Taiwan going forward, he said. "We hope GSK can play a key role in helping Taiwan become a biotech research hub in Asia."With an annual budget of NT$2.5 billion, the NRPB aims to promote objective-oriented research for new pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as bridging the gap between academia and industry. It is supported by the Atomic Energy Council, Department of Health, Ministry of Economic Affairs and National Science Council.As part of government efforts to develop Taiwan's biomedical sector, the Council for Economic Planning and Development approved a proposal May 6 to build a hospital in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park.The NT$5.5 billion facility has a planned capacity of 728 beds and will be operated by National Taiwan University Hospital under the auspices of the Department of Health.Construction of the hospital will begin next year, the CEPD said, adding that the first patients are expected to be admitted in 2018. (JSM)
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