A top researcher credited with developing a drug to treat Pompe disease was released on NT$600,000 (US$20,000) bail late on Tuesday after being questioned in a corruption investigation.
Chen Yuan-tsong (陳垣崇), director of Academia Sinica's Institute of Biomedical Sciences, did not comment as he was leaving the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office.
Chen is suspected of transferring his patented technologies for producing genetic-based diagnostic tests to Phamigene — a biomedical company in which he serves as honorary founder — which then sold two test products to Academia Sinica through two government procurement bids for a total value of NT$15 million.
Prosecutors said Chen's wife is also a manager at the company.
Under the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), procurement staff or supervisors are obliged to withdraw if they or their spouse, relatives by blood or by marriage within the third degree, or other relatives who live with and share the property with them, have vested interests in the procurement.
Prosecutors said Chen might have violated the act and was under investigation.
Chen's wife has also been questioned as a witness, the prosecutors added.
Academia Sinica spokesman Yeh Yih-hsiung (葉義雄) said the institute “respects and will cooperate with the prosecution's investigation.”
Local media reports have quoted Chen as saying, in his defense, that he has never paid attention to procurement and money matters and focused on conducting research.
Chen said that as the inventor of the patented genetic tests, he thought he should be in charge of their development and manufacturing to ensure efficiency. With that in mind, he said, he authorized Phamigene to commercialize the tests, according to the media reports.
Chen, 62, is a distinguished research fellow at Academia Sinica. He is best-known for his treatment, named Myozyme, for Pompe disease.
Chen's research inspired Harrison Ford's movie Extraordinary Measures.
The movie tells the story of parents who formed a biotechnology company to develop the drug to treat the rare life-threatening metabolic disorder.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS