Taiwan’s future hopes bright in biotech field 新生技發光 台灣未來希望
To gain a better grasp of Taiwan’s potential for development in the biotechnology industry, ideas organized a roundtable forum comprised of Dr. Johnsee Lee, Chairman of the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB); Professor Yang Huey-Lang, Director of the National Cheng Gong University Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology; and Chris Tsai, Chairman of Bionet, Asia’s first private cord blood bank.
為了解台灣發展生物科技的優勢潛力，《創新發現誌（ideas）》特別邀請財團法人生物技術開發中心董事長李鍾熙、成功大學生物科技中心主任楊惠郎及亞洲第一家私營臍帶血銀行-訊聯生技公司董事長蔡政憲，進行圓桌論壇。
Dr. Lee explains, “The development of a new drug usually takes about 10 years from beginning to end. Its process is not unlike that of a relay race: the first leg is ‘discovery’, which includes research conducted in academic laboratories in Taiwan and abroad. The second leg takes this basic research and transforms it into products that can be used by humans, and is known as ‘translational research’. The third leg consists of clinical trials, which incorporates toxicology, drug effectiveness, and other types of human experiments, while the fourth and final leg is manufacturing and sales.”
李鍾熙︰一種新藥的開發，一般需要10年左右的時間；整個發展過程可視為是一場接力賽。其中，第一棒是發現（discovery），包括國內外學術界在實驗室裡的發現；第二棒是將基礎研究轉為可在人身上使用的產品，即轉譯研究的領域；第三棒是臨床實驗，包括毒理(toxicology)、有效性及更多人體實驗；第四棒則是產品的生產、銷售。
In the wake of the global economic crisis, Taiwan currently possesses greater opportunities to develop value-added services within this “second leg” of research. As such, Taiwanese companies should begin to focus more on analysis of patent portfolios, manufacturing, and market competition. Attention should also be given to preliminary clinical trials and the production of small amounts of test drugs. We need to take advantage of this period when the U.S. and Europe have not yet fully recovered from the recent economic crisis and actively integrate all relevant units, so that we can position Taiwan at the forefront of the global biotech industry value chain.
在金融風暴後，台灣在發展第二棒加值服務增加了許多機會，應多著力於專利布局、製程，以及市場競爭者等分析，也要進行前臨床實驗，作小規模試產。應趁金融風暴後，歐美經濟還未完全復原，積極整合相關單位，在全球生技產業價值體系中，建立一席地位。
Added Professor Yang: “Taiwan cannot follow the path of major high-tech nations. We must follow a more intricate road befitting that of smaller nations. To develop industrial technology, we must first find a suitable subject. This subject would possess favorable conditions such as market growth and global competitiveness. It is industries that Taiwan must develop, not products. Finding a potential subject is easy - making the right choice is the true challenge.”
楊惠郎：台灣不能走大國科技，要走精緻小國的路線。發展產業科技，首先要找對題目，好的題目具備市場成長、國際競爭力等條件。台灣需要的是產業，而非產品。生技題目多如牛毛，找對題目最難。
為了解台灣發展生物科技的優勢潛力，《創新發現誌（ideas）》特別邀請財團法人生物技術開發中心董事長李鍾熙、成功大學生物科技中心主任楊惠郎及亞洲第一家私營臍帶血銀行-訊聯生技公司董事長蔡政憲，進行圓桌論壇。
Dr. Lee explains, “The development of a new drug usually takes about 10 years from beginning to end. Its process is not unlike that of a relay race: the first leg is ‘discovery’, which includes research conducted in academic laboratories in Taiwan and abroad. The second leg takes this basic research and transforms it into products that can be used by humans, and is known as ‘translational research’. The third leg consists of clinical trials, which incorporates toxicology, drug effectiveness, and other types of human experiments, while the fourth and final leg is manufacturing and sales.”
李鍾熙︰一種新藥的開發，一般需要10年左右的時間；整個發展過程可視為是一場接力賽。其中，第一棒是發現（discovery），包括國內外學術界在實驗室裡的發現；第二棒是將基礎研究轉為可在人身上使用的產品，即轉譯研究的領域；第三棒是臨床實驗，包括毒理(toxicology)、有效性及更多人體實驗；第四棒則是產品的生產、銷售。
In the wake of the global economic crisis, Taiwan currently possesses greater opportunities to develop value-added services within this “second leg” of research. As such, Taiwanese companies should begin to focus more on analysis of patent portfolios, manufacturing, and market competition. Attention should also be given to preliminary clinical trials and the production of small amounts of test drugs. We need to take advantage of this period when the U.S. and Europe have not yet fully recovered from the recent economic crisis and actively integrate all relevant units, so that we can position Taiwan at the forefront of the global biotech industry value chain.
在金融風暴後，台灣在發展第二棒加值服務增加了許多機會，應多著力於專利布局、製程，以及市場競爭者等分析，也要進行前臨床實驗，作小規模試產。應趁金融風暴後，歐美經濟還未完全復原，積極整合相關單位，在全球生技產業價值體系中，建立一席地位。
Added Professor Yang: “Taiwan cannot follow the path of major high-tech nations. We must follow a more intricate road befitting that of smaller nations. To develop industrial technology, we must first find a suitable subject. This subject would possess favorable conditions such as market growth and global competitiveness. It is industries that Taiwan must develop, not products. Finding a potential subject is easy - making the right choice is the true challenge.”
楊惠郎：台灣不能走大國科技，要走精緻小國的路線。發展產業科技，首先要找對題目，好的題目具備市場成長、國際競爭力等條件。台灣需要的是產業，而非產品。生技題目多如牛毛，找對題目最難。
