Singapore: Malaysia's chemical company Duopharma has tied up with Korea's PanGen Biotech to pioneer a clinical trial of Erythropoietin (EPO) in Malaysia to treat end stage renal failure patients. Under the agreement, Duopharma will obtain commercialization rights for product marketing and distribution in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

This latest development will propel Duopharma to compete for high value added partnership projects in the commercialization of biosimilars while eliminating the need to invest in very expensive clinical trials and long gestation periods to deliver the product to market. Duopharma will undertake the first biological trial Malaysia jointly with PanGen

Biosimilars, dominated by global pharma players, is forecasted to expand at a compounded average growth rate of 12 per cent in Asia to an estimated $2.5 billion (RM8 billion) in the Southeast Asian region by 2020.

Duopharma has to date invested $2.2 million (RM7 million) to establish Malaysia's first National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau-certified GMP biological fill & finish facility in Klang and will potentially invest an additional $2.8 million (RM9 million) for a pre-filled syringe suite should phase III trials prove successful.

This latest development will propel Duopharma to compete for high value added partnership projects in the commercialization of biosimilars while eliminating the need to invest in very expensive clinical trials and long gestation periods to deliver the product to market.