Novartis, the world's third-largest pharmaceutical firm, is interested in expanding cooperation with Taiwan in bio- and medical technologies, an official with the Swiss company said yesterday.
Paul Herrling, head of corporate research at Novartis International, told CNA that Taiwan has bio- and medical research specialists of the highest caliber and advanced medical facilities, making it one of the best candidates in the Asia-Pacific region for a partnership.
Herrling, who visited Taiwan last September during the 2005 Novartis International Biotechnology Leadership Camp, said that in addition to pharmaceutical services, clinical research and testing, there is ample room for Novartis and Taiwan to expand and deepen research ties.
He said that on top of running a clinical research center in Taiwan, the Swiss drugmaker is planning a symposium to discuss the possibility of closer research ties.
Herrling said he would lead a 10-member delegation for the symposium scheduled for April, during which Novartis scientists and researchers are expected to meet specialists from Academia Sinica, the nation's top research institute, for a series of brainstorming sessions on neuroscience and developments in brain research and related medicine.
The Novartis Clinical Research Center in Taiwan, established in October 2004, is the second facility of its kind in Asia, following the opening of a center in Japan. A total of 26 types of new or "pipeline drugs" -- for cancer, cardiovascular disease, hepatitis and chronic pneumonia -- are being researched or are under development at the center.
The government's plan to make Taiwan an "island of biomedical research and development" was one factor that attracted Novartis and other pharmaceutical firms.
Herrling said Taiwan was an ideal place for testing and experiments because of its research personnel, world-class medical institutions, an adequate supply of patients, ethnic diversity and the fact that medical records are in English.
However, Herrling warned that other factors -- such as infrastructure development, laws, protection of intellectual property and cross-strait relations -- are important in determining if development of biomedical technologies and international cooperation will succeed.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique