One of the main figures behind the founding of Yu Chang Biologics, Patrick Yang (楊育民), said he believes the company has always been irreproachable in its intentions, adding that nobody was initially willing to take on the role as chairperson and it was filled by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) only after she was persuaded to take it.
According to Yang, the reason the company has become so embroiled in election politics is because someone wants to make an issue out of it.
The mission of the company, from the outset, has been to promote the Taiwanese biotech industry, he said, adding it was never just about individuals making money.
Yang said the reason the Taiwanese team won the bid to cooperate with US firm Genentech for the development of a new AIDS drug was because of the standing of Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠) and world-renowned AIDS drug expert David Ho (何大一) in the biotech field, as well as scientist Chen Lan-bo (陳良博).
Regarding the classification of Yu Chang documents, Yang pointed out the importance of confidentiality in the commercial environment and that even now he is obliged not to reveal the conditions of the initial talks with Genentech.
Chen Yuan-tsong (陳垣崇), a top researcher at Academia Sinica, said that confidentiality was crucial for international cooperation in the biotech field and expressed concern over the prospects of biotech companies willing to work with Taiwanese companies in view of the current furor involving Yu Chang.
Ho, one of three scientists hired by the National Development Fund as a board member and the joint venture’s shareholding representative on Sept. 5, 2007, was quoted in a 2007 interview with CommonWealth Magazine as touting the importance of the leadership qualities of the people at the head of a company, adding that Tsai had these qualities.
He was also quoted as saying that the significance of the drugs manufactured by Yu Chang would go beyond the commercial level and, being accredited by the US Food and Drug Administration, would have implications for Taiwan’s international standing.
Few countries outside the US, Europe and Japan are capable of marketing clinical-grade pharmaceuticals worldwide.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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