Letter from Publisher
Dear Readers,
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) have been described as a biological missile for targeted cancer therapy. The therapy combines advantages of highly specific targeting ability and highly potent killing effect to achieve accurate and efficient elimination of cancer cells. It is a major research and development now in anti-cancer drugs.
The first ADC was approved in 2000 and the space has experienced a renaissance in recent times. Major pharmaceutical players as well as startups are announcing deals in this space practically every day. Within the AsiaPacific (APAC) region, China stands at the forefront of ADC drug development. GlobalData reports that numerous domestic companies in China are actively shifting their focus towards the creation of pioneering ADC-based treatment options, particularly for solid tumors like breast, gastric, and bladder cancer. On this Cancer Day, our content team has delved deeper into the exciting realm of ADCs, exploring advancements and unravelling the advantages they offer compared to other therapies like cell and gene therapies.
As our content team continuously explores and writes about new technologies that are becoming available, medtech is naturally an area of focus. If we take New Zealand’s example, in 2010, it had only 40 to 50 companies in the medtech arena. Today there are more than 200. A Deloitte strategic and economic report estimates that by 2050, the sector’s growth will have produced a cumulative additional $4.2 billion in GDP and nearly 8,000 fulltime jobs. The New Zealand Government supports and invests in a range of projects, partnerships and programmes to boost the country’s medtech sector.
There are areas where New Zealand already leads the way, both on the research side, where for example, Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI)’s at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland work in computational physiology and digital twins is well-respected around the world, and on the commercial side, where startups such as Alimetry have won international prizes. In another article our team explores New Zealand’s efforts in becoming a medtech powerhouse.
In yet another article, the content team has tried to throw some light on the progress taking place in APAC’s rare disease drug discovery and its market. However, the landscape of rare disease medicine in the Asia Pacific is much more dynamic and is constantly evolving. Promising efforts are underway in the regions, offering hope for a brighter future for patients and their families.
The thought leadership piece is about revolutionising life sciences research and delivery with a new approach to modelling complexity.
All this and much more in this month’s edition, makes it an interesting reading.
Thanks & Regards,
Ravindra Boratkar
Publisher & Managing Editor