Apex Biotechnology Corp (
Apex specializes in home care medical equipment, including hand-held blood glucose meters, blood glucose strips, uric acid meters and uric acid strips. Blood glucose meters are used to detect diabetes, while uric acid meters detect gout.
The company's products use biosensor technology, meaning biological components such as DNA and enzyme probes are used to detect blood glucose or uric acid.
"Apex is one of the few local biotech firms that is making a profit," said Thomas Y. Shen (
Shen also said that the company's uric acid meter, which enters the market this month, is the world's first hand-held uric acid meter device.
Industry observers said that there was no listed biotech company in Taiwan because most are still in the red. Therefore, it's difficult to convince investors to back these companies.
"Many local biotech companies do not have competitive products and they are not making any profit," said an executive at a financial group that has more than NT$1 billion in biotech companies and funds overseas. "Once they are listed, their share prices will probably go below their net values."
Another executive working at a multinational pharmaceutical firm agreed.
"If those financially unhealthy companies list and their share prices drop, it will affect the subscription prices of other biotech companies that list in the future," he said.
In fact, a few local biotech com-panies have already received approval to go public, but have decided to wait.
According to Hong Chuang-ye (
"To attract investors, it's vital for biotech companies to develop products that can be accepted by markets and turn a profit," said Pai Jeng-ming (
Pai said that China Venture invested in Apex because it's making a profit and has the right products.
Set up in 1997, Apex generated sales of NT$147 million and an after-tax profit of NT$19 million last year.
"Medical equipment is a suitable item for Taiwan firms to develop," Pai said, adding that the field requires both medical and electronic know-how.
In addition, the return on investment comes quickly, Pai said. Developing medical equipment only takes one to two years, while developing a new drug may take more than six years.
Developing medical equipment also doesn't require huge amounts of capital as developing a new drug does, Shen said.
The annual global market for blood glucose meters and slips is more than US$2.5 billion, Shen said.
Major players include Abbott, Roche and Bayer.
Around 80 percent of Apex's products are exported to Europe and the US, while 5 percent stay in Taiwan.
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
Greek tourism student Katerina quit within a month of starting work at a five-star hotel in Halkidiki, one of the country’s top destinations, because she said conditions were so dire. Beyond the bad pay, the 22-year-old said that her working and living conditions were “miserable and unacceptable.” Millions holiday in Greece every year, but its vital tourism industry is finding it harder and harder to recruit Greeks to look after them. “I was asked to work in any department of the hotel where there was a need, from service to cleaning,” said Katerina, a tourism and marketing student, who would
i Gasoline and diesel prices at fuel stations are this week to rise NT$0.1 per liter, as tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. International crude oil prices last week rose for the third consecutive week due to an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as the market is concerned that the situation in the Middle East might affect crude oil supply, CPC and Formosa said in separate statements. Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — rose 3.75 percent to settle at US$77.01
RSS