OEP and NanoCarrier sign a new agreement to conduct registration trials of Nanoplatin™ and to set up a manufacturing site in Taiwan.
In 2008, OEP and NanoCarrier, a Japan based pharmaceutical company, started a project to jointly develop a new cancer treatment, Nanoplatin™. The co-development project has been going smoothly as Nanoplatin™ now is at Phase II clinical trial stage. Following the success, OEP and NanoCarrier decide to push the cooperation further by engaging in conducting registration trials of Nanoplatin™ in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Australia.
The new agreement also includes jointly setting up a new manufacturing site in Taiwan to supply Nanoplatin™ Injection to the global market. Following the exchange of a memorandum on October 1, 2012, a formal agreement has been signed on November 7 by Mr. Peter Tsai, President & CEO of OEP, and Dr. Ichiro Nakatomi, President & CEO of NanoCarrier in the presence of Taiwan FDA, IDB and Science & Technology Office of Executive Yuan. This cooperation project will benefit many cancer patients, and boost the bio-pharmaceutical industry in Taiwan. For OEP and NanoCarrier, this agreement is a major milestone for their joint venture of the research of new cancer treatments.
By the new agreement, OEP and NanoCarrier will start registration trials of
Nanoplatin™ in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Australia in 2013.
As for the new manufacturing site, it will be located in the Central Taiwan
Science Park- Huwui Park. Construction will start in 2013 and complete in
2016. The new plant will be the first ever manufacturing site for NanoCarrier;
therefore, NanoCarrier is fully committed to support the planning and designing of the new site's construction, aiming to passing the inspection of the US FDA and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.
This manufacturing site, when up and running, will supply Nanoplatin™ to the global market. The site is estimated to cost about NT$ 700 million to build, and create over 50 post-graduate jobs for the central Taiwan area. The annual revenue is projected to be US$ 500 million in the initial stage.
Mr. Peter Tsai expressed that the success of this co-development project
should be attributed to the Industrial Development Bureau's "Taiwan-Japan
Industrial Collaboration Bridging Project", which has set a new model for the
collaboration between the two countries in new drug R&D. Also, the TFDA's
new drug R&D advisory mechanism has convinced the two companies to
conduct registration trials of Nanoplatin™ in Taiwan and to make Taiwan the
first country to launch this new product. Mr. Tsai pointed out that the
Taiwanese government has introduced many new policies over the past few
years to encourage the bio-pharmaceutical industry to invest in new drug R&D.
Especially, Wang Jin-Pyng, Spokesperson of the Legislative Yuan, and Sean
Chen, Premier of the Executive Yuan, in August announced the 33 policy
guidelines on biopharmaceutical industry promotion and set out an explicit
timetable for the reform of new drug development and the BNHI pricing policy.
These actions inspire the industry's confidence. This cooperation project is
indeed a showcase for the Executive Yuan's "Taiwan Biotech
Take-off Diamond Action Plan".
Mr Ichiro Nakatomi, President of NanoCarrier, highlighted the Taiwanese
government TFDA and IDB have come up with a new policy to provide
necessary support and assistance for a domestic company contributing to the
research development of a innovative pharmaceutical product by helping them
quickly obtain drug licenses and drug prices. This policy will contribute to the
success of new drug R&D in Taiwan. Mr Nakatomi expressed that he is
delighted to visit Taiwan and excited about the new cooperation with OEP. He
hopes the new agreement will accelerate the development and the launch of
Nanoplatin™.About NanoCarrier Co. Ltd.
NanoCarrier Co., Ltd. is one of the leading biotech companies listed on Tokyo
Stock Exchange(Code:4751) in March 2008, was founded in 1996 by Dr.
Nakatomi, CEO of the Company, together with Professor Kazunori Kataoka,
the University of Tokyo, and Professor Teruo Okano, Tokyo Women's Medical
University. NanoCarrier has been developing on advanced biomaterials and
technologies for drug delivery using its proprietary technology called "Micellar
Nanoparticles", invented mainly by Professors Kataoka and Okano.
NanoCarrier has obtained over 40 patents, including worldwide substance
patents to cover the use of polymeric micellar drug carrier as functional
nanoparticles. The company's product portfolio includes mainly intravenous
formulations of various low and high molecular weights of therapeutic
compounds, which in turn, improve the efficacy and safety profile of original
drugs as well as patient's quality of life. It contributes to advance the treatment
of cancer and other intractable diseases.
NanoCarrier keeps going to develop new product pipeline and promote many
alliances with world-class ones of universities, material companies,
manufacturers and development/distribution companies. The company,
currently focus its drug development in the therapeutic area of oncology.
However, we believe, there is task to harness the potential technology to
develop and expand the scope of therapeutic medicines in other areas as well.
About Orient Europharma Co. Ltd. (OEP)
OEP was founded in 1982 and was officially listed in Taiwan Stock Exchange
Market in November 2003. OEP has been the sales agent of many
pharmaceutical and nutrient products imported from Europe, the US and
Japan. The company's product portfolio includes primary care medicines,
cancer drugs, nutrition products, beauty products and health products. OEP
also owns a leading brand of goat's milk power, Karihome, and markets
successfully worldwide. OEP has built up a strong sales network for
pharmaceutical products in Taiwan and in Asia-Pacific countries, and set up
eight subsidiaries in the US, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. OEP is the only Taiwanese company which has its
own sales team in Southeast Asian countries.
Building on the foundation of integrity and sustainability, OEP has been
growing steadily both in organization and in sales. In 2011, the company's
combined revenue reached NT$ 4 billion. Sales in overseas markets
accounted for 24%; and the figure has increased to 30% in the first half of 2012.
OEP was the winner of the first "Golden Laurel Award" granted by the Taiwan
Gre Tai Securities Market in 2011. For two consecutive years, OEP was
among the top 600 local enterprises according to the Common Wealth
Magazine.
In 2008, OEP established Orient Pharma, which is the first pharmaceutical
manufacturer in Taiwan built to the standards set by the PIC/S GMP, EU GMP
and the 21CFR of the US FDA. As of 2012, the equity investment in Orient
Pharma has reached NT$ 1.6 billion. In 2011, Orient Pharma was certified by
the TFDA for meeting PIC/S GMP requirements. In 2012, Orient Pharma
received the overseas pharmaceutical manufacturer certificate from the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. Orient Pharma has been
engaging in many new drug R&D projects through collaborating with
international pharmaceutical companies. Those projects, targeting on the US
market, are mainly about cancer treatments and drugs for central nervous
system. Orient Pharma owns the patents of many advanced technology,
such as multiple target release dosage form, transcutaneous absorption patch, oral fast dissolving tablets, slow release dosage form and microparticles
dosage form.
For more information please go to OEP's official website at
(http://www.oep.com.tw).