Novartis in Malaysia for biotech research

 

SWISS-BASED pharmaceutical company Novartis has signed an agreement with Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Malaysian Biotech Corporation (BiotechCorp) to explore bioactive compounds from natural resources.

Novartis International AG's director Alexander F. Jetzer-Chung said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) gave the company a chance to leverage on Malaysia's biodiversity for the development of novel medical opportunities.

"This is bound to be a very effective partnership, especially with the strong support of the Sarawak state government and BiotechCorp," he told reporters after the signing ceremony between Novartis, SBC and BiotechCorp here on Tuesday.

The signing was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in conjunction with the BioMalaysia 2009 event.

Under the agreement, Novartis will offer interships for SBC scientists, including microbiologists and natural products chemists, for them to work at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland.

Novartis will also provide support to develop mutually agreed bioprospecting activity and capacity building to identify novel bioactive compounds sourced from the forests of Sarawak.

According to the company, these bioactive compounds could have medicinal effects which may be developed into medicines in the future.

Headquartered in Basel, Novartis offers healthcare products to protect health, cure diseases and improve well-being. - BERNAMA