VerImmune named the second Golden Ticket winner, boosting its capabilities to develop innovative platform technology capable of treating multiple diseases.
SINGAPORE (26 July, 2023) – Leading global biotechnology company Amgen and NSG BioLabs, Singapore’s largest provider of biotech co-working laboratories and co-working space, announced VerImmune as the second winner of the Amgen Golden Ticket in Singapore. The Golden Ticket Programme is part of both companies’ continuous efforts to accelerate the growth of innovative biotech startups and to foster greater collaboration within Singapore’s biotech sector as a leading regional biotech and pharma hub.
VerImmune clinched the title with its highly innovative Virus-inspired Particle (ViP™) platform technology that bears great potential to treat multiple diseases. The ViP technology has shown great promise in the field of oncology, pioneering a first-in-class cancer immunotherapy approach known as Anti-tumor Immune Redirection (AIR). This process leverages the immune memory from past infections or childhood vaccination to combat cancer. VerImmune is currently looking to explore the use of ViP technology in other areas of unmet medical needs.
“A significant fraction of the therapeutics pipeline in major biotech firms typically originates from ideas that come from outside of the company. At Amgen, we believe and support innovation and science that will ultimately benefit patients, independent of where the seed of the idea takes root. We are excited to collaborate and engage with VerImmune to harness the potential of their technology and advance novel biotherapeutics. Our vision to bring therapeutics to patients with grievous diseases requires that we do everything we can to help the youngest of companies take root and grow quickly,” said Dr. Alan Russell, Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgenat the winner reveal event held in Singapore on 13 July.
"We are grateful to receive the Golden Ticket from the Amgen-NSG BioLabs committee. This invaluable support fuels our vision to become a global biotherapeutics company, and with this opportunity, we aim to strengthen our local presence and demonstrate the potential diverse therapeutic applications of our innovative ViP platform in combating diseases worldwide. This recognition marks an exciting phase in our company's journey, and we eagerly anticipate the transformative possibilities it offers,” said Joshua Wang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VerImmune.
The Amgen Golden Ticket winner was chosen by an internal team of Amgen scientific leaders at a virtual pitch event. In the final round of the competition, five finalists pitched their business plans before Amgen’s internal scientific committee that evaluated the strength and novelty of the participants’ scientific rationale, subject matter expertise and business plan viability.
VerImmune has been awarded a one-year free residency in NSG Biolabs’ fully equipped, turnkey and certified BSL-2 laboratory, as well as additional facility benefits and access to Amgen’s vast network of scientific and business leaders, which VerImmune can now leverage to execute its scientific goals. Amgen’s Golden Ticket sponsorship marks the second of the NSG Tomorrow Program created to help innovative biotech startups execute towards their vision.
Call for Synergy Between Biotech Firms and Startups Crucial to Accelerate Innovation
By 2050, one in four people in the Asia Pacific region will be over 60 years old. The combination of an aging population in Asia-Pacific and the increase in a variety of chronic diseases is driving changes in the way the biotech sector and patients are thinking and prioritizing healthcare. MedTech, pharma and biotech firms in Singapore are leading the fight against urgent healthcare concerns, tapping into its strong R&D and manufacturing capabilities.
At the event, Guest of Honour Mr Soh Leng Wan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Manufacturing & Engineering) of Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) shared that a strong science base, financing and mentorship support, paired with conducive launchpads such as NSG BioLabs, form the foundation of Singapore’s biotech ecosystem. “Now with the building blocks set in place, the next growth catalyst for the ecosystem is partnerships with well-established biotech companies such as Amgen. To amplify national efforts to spur biotech innovation and growth, EnterpriseSG will intensify our efforts to support industry players in driving more such strategic collaborations,” he added.
At the panel discussion “Exploring Synergies: How Biotech Companies and Startups Can Drive Breakthrough Therapies,” which took place after the winner reveal, Amgen called for greater collaboration and multi-sectorial efforts between major biotech companies and the startup community to drive innovation and advance pipeline assets to improve patient outcomes in the region.
“Beyond helping startups weather difficult times, this synergistic partnership encourages diversity in ideas and approaches to therapies,” said Arleen Paulino, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Amgen. “Based on our various experiences and backgrounds, both startups and major biotech firms can tap into more scientific breakthroughs. These collaborations can serve as an accelerator for therapies to be made available to patients faster and help advance new ideas to address current healthcare trends and needs in the region,” she added.
The panel also highlighted how this synergistic partnership would offer aspiring startups external validation for the technologies they are developing, and how it would help build and sustain a viable biotech talent pool in Singapore.
The panel also highlighted how this synergistic partnership would offer aspiring startups external validation for the technologies they are developing, and how it would help build and sustain a viable biotech talent pool in Singapore.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing, and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.
Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also part of the Nasdaq-100 index. In 2021, Amgen was named one of the 25 World's Best Workplaces™ by Fortune and Great Place to Work™ and one of the 100 most sustainable companies in the world by Barron's.
For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
About NSG BioLabs
Founded with a focus on supporting early-stage biotech companies, NSG BioLabs offers state-of-the-art equipment, efficient operations, capital efficiency, the expertise of world-class teams and global networks to incubate and assist emerging life sciences companies. The conducive R&D environment contains fully equipped laboratory and office infrastructure across 22,000 sq ft in the prime location of Biopolis. With access to a global network and a shared set of skills and experience with its strategic partners, NSG BioLabs ensures that biotech startups can execute on their cutting-edge research and development ecosystem in Singapore, leading to the innovation of revolutionary technologies and products that translate into breakthrough biotech ventures and impact for patients. For more information, visit www.nsgbio.com.
About VerImmune
VerImmune Inc (www.verimmune.com) is developing a highly innovative Virus-inspired Particle (ViP™) platform technology that has the potential to treat multiple diseases. VerImmune's primary focus lies in the field of Oncology, wherein the ViP technology enables a pioneering first-in-class cancer immunotherapy approach known as Anti-tumor Immune Redirection (AIR). This innovative method harnesses the body's pre-existing immune system, specifically by leveraging the immune memory from past infections or childhood vaccination to combat cancer. By taking a highly orthogonal approach, VerImmune's technology holds immense potential to revolutionize the Immuno-Oncology market, offering new treatment possibilities for patients facing limited options or resistance to current cancer therapies. Beyond Oncology, VerImmune is looking into other areas of high unmet needs via the utilization of ViPs with novel properties and/or payloads that exert highly disruptive mechanisms of action.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mindy Chee, Amgen Singapore mchee01@amgen.com
Fatimah Mujibah, Edelman fatimah.mujibah@edelman.com
EVENT PHOTOS:
Amgen Golden Ticket 2023 - Winner Reveal Event on 13 July, Singapore
From Left to Right: Mr. Hasyim Sim (Site Director, NSG BioLabs), Mr. Mr Soh Leng Wan (Assistant Chief Executive Manufacturing & Engineering, Enterprise Singapore), Mr. Joshua Wang (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VerImmune), Mr. Wallace Torres (Vice President, Amgen Singapore Manufacturing), Ms. Arleen Paulino (Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Amgen), Dr. Alan Russell (Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen), Mr. Eric Ng (Executive Director, General Manager Executive Director, General Manager, Amgen South East Asia, Hong Kong, India)
Amgen Golden Ticket 2023 - Winner Reveal Event on 13 July, Singapore
From Left to Right: Mr. Ng Choon Peng (CEO & Founder at ImmunoScape), Dr. Alan Russell (Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen), Ms. Arleen Paulino (Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Amgen), Mr. Mr Soh Leng Wan (Assistant Chief Executive Manufacturing & Engineering, Enterprise Singapore), Mr. Wallace Torres (Vice President, Amgen Singapore Manufacturing)
Amgen Golden Ticket 2023 - Panel Discussion on 13 July, Singapore
From Left to Right: Ms. Arleen Paulino (Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Amgen) and Dr. Alan Russell (Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen)
Amgen Golden Ticket 2023 - Panel Discussion on 13 July, Singapore
From Left to Right: Mr. Joshua Wang (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VerImmune), Dr. Yvonne Koh (Vice President, Investments & New Ventures, ClavystBio), Ms. Arleen Paulino (Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Amgen), Dr. Alan Russell (Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen), Mr. Ng Choon Peng (CEO & Founder at ImmunoScape)
Left to Right: Opening Address by Dr. Alan Russell (Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen),Q&A During Panel Discussion