Tie-up to produce liver cells

Biotech contract manufacturer Inno Biologics Sdn Bhd has entered into a joint venture with a Japanese company to manufacture liver cells from stem cells which will be used in toxicity studies. 

The joint-venture company, called Innocelltec, will be one of the pioneers in the world in manufacturing liver cells from stem cells. 

chief executive officer Mohd Nazlee Kamal said the core business of the Japanese public-listed company, Effector Cell Institute, which was closely affiliated with the University of Tokyo, was stem cell work. 

“We are going to have a technology transfer to manufacture liver cells for use in toxicity studies,” said Mohd Nazlee, who was in the United States recently for the Biotec Expo in Chicago. 

He said three Malaysians would be trained for six months in Japan. 

Mohd Nazlee said Innocelltec had a long-term strategy for regenerative medicine. 

“It is an area of interest to us. We are going through an exciting phase of our industry and looking for important niche areas with great potential. It is a matter of doing it right,” he said. 

Inno Biologics, a contract manufacturer which produces biopharmaceuticals, is the flagship biotech company of Inno Bio Ventures Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian Finance Ministry incorporated company.  

The company took part in the expo in Chicago where its officials held discussions with a number of companies that had expressed interest in becoming their customers. 

“We have to be competitive and prove our competency. When we prove those two components, they will sign contracts with us,” Mohd Nazlee said.  

He said that in terms of competency, Malaysia did not have a very traditional background in biotech manufacturing but had graduates with basic understanding and practice as well as some experience. 

“We will try to mitigate this by getting them trained in companies overseas,” he said. 

He said Inno Biologics had sent its employees to the Canadian Biotech Research Centre, General Electric training centre and to Germany for training. 

They also learnt good manufacturing practices in the United States. 

Mohd Nazlee said Malaysia had a competitive edge over India and China as its infrastructure and intellectual property protection were much better. 

He said the company's move to Putra Nilai, 20 minutes from the KL International Airport, was strategic for doing business with foreigners.  

The company is expected to be fully operational there in June.