Singapore, Mar 03, 2010: Four years ago, the Asia edition of BioSpectrum was launched to chronicle the growth of the Life Sciences in the Asia Pacific region. Since its launch in March 2006 in Singapore, the magazine has attempted to bring an Asian flavor to the world of Life Sciences, dominated for over a century by globe-dominating life science companies, formed in the US and Europe.

The magazine has succeeded to a large extent in this endeavor. Of course, BioSpectrum is not just a magazine. It is an integrated media platform with the content, gathered from all over Asia Pacific and important global information, delivered in print, digital and online formats, to reach out to the thousands of eager business leaders in more than 12 countries in Asia Pacific and a large community of business leaders in Europe and the US.

Four years is a very short time to understand a complex industry like life sciences, which has hundreds of companies providing critical, life saving medical products and services to the humanity. However, in this very short time, the interactions with the industry leaders in the region provided many useful insights into how they all view the role of the industry and their organization’s role in shaping the growth of the sector.

BioSpectrum has featured many of these remarkable companies and their leaders and highlighted their work and their ambitions.

BioSpectrum, first founded in India, in March 2003, has been at the forefront of providing a window to the world into India’s fast growing life sciences sector. And the India edition had introduced the BioSpectrum Awards in 2003 to recognize outstanding contributions by entrepreneurs, policy makers and other key members of the ecosystem in promoting the growth of the industry in one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

With such a successful initiative within the Life Sciences Group of CyberMedia, the publishers of Bio-Spectrum, it was only a matter of time before the concept was extended to the Asia Pacific region.

So, the BioSpectrum Asia Pacific Awards was instituted in 2009 and is now in its second edition.

The Awards have well-defined criteria and no nominations are invited. BioSpectrum’s editorial team brought together a six-member international jury, which rigorously evaluated the shortlist of nominees, put together by the magazine’s research team. The jury members were industry leaders who provided critical insights into the industry.

BioSpectrum Asia Pacific Awards 2010 jury comprised: Mr G Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill and Company, Dr Deborah Rathjen, the Chair of AusBio, Australia’s leading industry body for biotechnology, Dr Chungcheng Liu, General Director of Taiwan’s Biomedical Engineering Lab and Vice President of the country’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, Mr Jung Jin Seo, BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 and also the CEO & Chairman of Korea’s Celltrion, Prof Dr B Suresh, President of Indian Pharmaceutical Association, and BioSpectrum Group Editor, E Abraham Mathew.

The jury had the excellent insights provided by Mr Steven Burrill, CEO of US-headquartered Burrill & Company, which assiduously tracks the global biotechnology industry and is known for its “on-the-mark” industry forecasts. Mr E Abraham Mathew, Group Editor of BioSpectrum who had played a key role in formulating the BioSpectrum success story and also the other CyberMedia magazine awards for the last 20 years, was the sixth member of the jury.

Over several rounds of emails, the jury members chose the winners in the three categories.

The Awards ceremony will be held in Singapore on March 12, 2010.

BioSpectrum Asia Pacific Awards 2010 — Jury Awards

BioSpectrum Life Time Achievement Award

Dr Kallam Anji Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy’s Labs, India

For pioneering the growth of pharmaceutical industry in India by launching Dr Reddy’s Laboratories 26 years ago and making Hyderabad the bulk drugs capital of the world. The industry also salutes the visionary role Dr Reddy has played in the last three decades in making life saving and other essential drugs affordable to millions of people around the world.

BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year

Dr Xiaochuan Wang, CEO, Sundia MediTech, China

For leading the fast pace of growth. In the process, Sundia MediTech, established in 2004, not only showcased what professional management and a well-defined system of IP insurance can do to an enterprise but also created investor value.

BioSpectrum Person of the Year

Dr Brian A McNamee, CEO & MD, CSL Limited, Australia

For the leadership role played by Dr Brian A McNamee in pushing CSL to develop a highly effective vaccine against Influenza A H1N1 ( swine flu) within a very short time after the
World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global pandemic in May 2009.

BioSpectrum Product of the Year (Joint-Winners)

A. Shanchol, (oral vaccine to protect against cholera) from Shantha Biotechnics, now a part of Sanofi Pasteur- the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, India.

For bringing Shanchol to India. Priced at $1.85 Shanchol is licensed for use in adults and children above one year old. It is the first vaccine developed by International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Seoul, South Korea. The vaccine was approved in India last year based on the results of phase II trial on 70,000 human subjects (aged one year and over) conducted in Kolkata by the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED).

B. OvPlex Ovarian Cancer Test from HealthLinx, Australia

For bringing about a significant enhancement in diagnostic performance in identifying ovarian cancer in symptomatic women. The early stage diagnosis that it affords improves the chance of surviving five years to 80 percent. OvPlex uses the minimally invasive methodology of a simple blood test.

BioSpectrum Asia Pacific Awards Parameters

Life Time Achievement Award

A. Path-breaking activities and contributions to the growth of life sciences industry in Asia Pacific in the past three-four decades.

B. Contribution to the evolution of the life sciences industry in the region

C. Inspirer/influencer/visionary role

Person of the Year Award

A.  Performance of the organization

B.  Role beyond the company

C. Key projects in 2009

D. Global initiatives

E.  Influence on policy making

F.  Fostering industry harmony

G.  Stature as a leader & visionary

Entrepreneur of the Year

A. Strategic steps that make the company stand out in the crowd in the past two years

B  Imaginative business plan which should have innovative products and services

C  Business results achieved

D Ability to raise funds

E Ability to attract top human talent

Product of the Year

A  Revenue realizations from the product

B Uniqueness

C Degree of difficulty in creating the product

D  Import substitution

E  Export potential

F  Price competitiveness

Editor’s Choice awards, not selected by the jury, but by the magazine’s editorial team, will turn the spotlight onto companies we believe will become the winners in the near future.

Emerging Companies of the Year — Editor’s Choice Award

 Curiox Biosystems, Singapore

 Moleac, Singapore

RNL Bio, Korea

 Crystal Genomics, Korea

 Inno Biologics, Malaysia

Vita Genomics, Taiwan

Selection Criteria

 Innovative business idea

 Benefit to local community and business development

 Potential to emerge as category winner withiN three-five years

Ability to attract talent, funds and peer admiration