HONG KONG – New regulations, tighter policies and stronger enforcement in Asia Pacific have increased the risks of fraud in the life science industries and the cost of non-compliance or corruption. Employees in the region are also more conscious of their employers’ ethical record. The result is a need for better and sustainable compliance programs for companies operating across Asia Pacific. Read More

NEW DELHI – In another of several dramatic twists and turns over the past two years, India ended 2015 with a revision to its National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), including some new drugs and knocking others off to raise the total number of medicines to 376. Read More

HONG KONG — Chinese virologists have discovered that following a lengthy evolutionary period in pigs, Eurasian H1N1 avian-like (EAH1N1) swine influenza viruses (SIVs) have acquired the ability to transmit effectively in humans, suggesting that urgent action may be necessary in order to prevent a new readily transmissible swine flu epidemic. Read More

NEW DELHI – Bangalore-based biotechnology start-up Pandorum Technologies Pvt Ltd. has developed artificial 3-D liver tissue that can mimic a human liver and be used in lieu of living tissue for human trials. The company said its artificial tissues and mini-organs are suitable for high-throughput drug and vaccine discovery, mechanistic toxicology and medical research, and that its ultimate vision is “on-demand manufacturing of human organs.” Read More

HONG KONG – Chinese vaccine developer Yisheng Biopharma Co. Ltd. is looking at Southeast Asian markets as the first big opportunity for the company’s rabies vaccine, but any marketing will not happen for at least two years. Read More

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, said the CFDA issued the new drug certificate and approved the production license for its enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine – the first innovative vaccine product developed and commercialized by the company. Sinovac said it expects to receive its GMP license shortly and plans to begin commercial production of the vaccine immediately afterward, with initial shipments expected four to five months following the start of production. Read More