Sigma-Aldrich opens doors to latest Singapore biopharma investment

21-Apr-2015 - Last updated on 15-Dec-2023 at 10:40 GMT

SAFC opens Tech Center in Singapore

Sigma-Aldrich has opened a cell culture Technical Center in Singapore and plans to expand further in the city-state with a cGMP distribution site.

The site in Biopolis Research Park will offer customer’s cell culture and pre-clinical services, as well as collaborating Sigma-Aldrich’s existing Singaporean commercial offices and production laboratories into one location.

Jason Apter, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific for Sigma-Aldrich, said the new site would “significantly enhance our ability to support our customers in the region more quickly and effectively by providing local technical solutions that are customized to meet their needs.”

Among the services available to Asian customers, the Center will provide cell culture media development and optimization services, and preclinical media manufacturing using the firm’s imMEDIAte Advantage platform which helps clients produce non-cGMP batches of material.

“We are partnering with biopharmaceutical companies that are looking to increase the efficiency of their R&D efforts, working with them to reduce the time-to-market, cost and risk in developing both new drugs and generic versions of existing drugs,” Apter added.

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There has been a large amount of Big Biopharma investment in Singapore, including new facilities from Amgen, Baxter, AbbVie and Novartis. With many manufacturers benefitting from Singapore’s workforce and incentives from the Government – a roadmap was published last year looking at how the city-state can further support the fast growing industry further – it makes sense that biopharma service firms are also investing in the region.

Pall opened a Centre of Excellence in 2011, and in 2013 Thermo Fisher cut the ribbon on the first dry powder media plant in Singapore.

To further strengthen its presence, Sigma-Aldrich is also constructing a cGMP distribution centre in Tuas, expected to open later this year to provide end-to-end services to its South-East Asian clients.

“Our investments in Singapore play a crucial role in our strategy to better serve our regional customers and global players expanding into Asia,” said Gilles Cottier, Executive Vice President at Sigma-Aldrich.

“The country’s rapidly expanding biomedical ecosystem provides Sigma-Aldrich with access to talent and resources in an attractive and robust business environment like Singapore.”