Precision medicine in Singapore: How are global biomedical sciences players advancing cancer treatment and personalised healthcare?

Approximately one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Precision medicine, which allows patients to be on tailored treatment plans, is seen as a crucial weapon in this battle.

As the world increasingly shifts towards precision medicine, Singapore, which has been quietly growing its biomedical industry for 20 years, has attracted numerous international pharmaceutical companies to invest in recent years. Over this period, Singapore has also incubated 300 life sciences startups, some of which have become rising stars in this field.
 

An emerging method of cancer treatment is the use of targeted therapies such as Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADCs) to block cancer cell growth by intervening with specific cancer-associated molecules. It is one of the important trends in the development of precision medicine.

Singapore’s “Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan” (RIE2025) has a focus on precision medicine. In 2017, the government launched a 10-year National Precision Medicine Programme to establish a framework and infrastructure for implementing precision medicine across the country.
 

Global precision medicine market valued at US$74 billion with rapid growth projected

Unlike one-size-fits-all treatments of the past, precision medicine uses diagnostic results alongside patients' medical histories and lifestyles to craft personalised treatment and prevention plans. Actress Angelina Jolie and former United States (US) President Jimmy Carter have both benefited from precision medicine therapies.

At age 37, Jolie discovered through genetic testing that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 breast cancer mutation gene and decided to have a preventive double mastectomy. Carter, at 91, was diagnosed with melanoma that had metastasised to his brain. Combining immunotherapy and radiation therapy, he became the longest-living president in US history, living to the age of 100.

Immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s immune system to combat cancer, is another significant trend in precision medicine.

The nascent field of precision medicine holds strong growth potential within the biomedical sciences sector. Globally, its market size was valued at US$74 billion (S$100.38 billion) in 2022 and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 11.5 per cent up to 2030. Advancements in genomics, significant reductions in genetic testing costs, increasing demand for personalised treatments, and continuous innovation in diagnostics are all driving forces for further market growth.

In addition to cancer, precision medicine is applicable to rare genetic disorders and common chronic diseases like diabetes. Professor Toh Han Chong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Strategic Partnerships) and Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at Singapore’s National Cancer Centre, highlighted that any drug targeting specific proteins can be considered part of precision medicine.

Cancer remains a global challenge, with 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths in 2022. In Singapore, 25,250 new cases and 13,277 deaths were recorded in 2022, with colorectal, breast, and lung cancers being the most common. By 2050, global cancer cases are projected to exceed 35 million, driven by aging populations, lifestyle factors, and environmental risks.
 

Singapore’s role as a global precision medicine hub

The global shift towards precision medicine has brought opportunities for innovation, manufacturing, and commercialisation to Singapore. In recent years, Singapore has attracted many international pharmaceutical companies to invest and set up operations.

Goh Wan Yee, Senior Vice President of Healthcare at EDB, said: “Leading medical technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies are responding to this growth opportunity by developing and commercialising innovative products and solutions. These include life sciences tools and reagents that enable early detection and better diagnosis of disease, as well as precision therapeutics that are targeted and have improved treatment outcomes.”
 

Examples of collaborations include:

• US-based Thermo Fisher Scientific’s partnership with Singapore-based startup Mirxes and the National University Hospital to develop and clinically validate advanced next-generation sequencing technologies for affordable early cancer detection in Southeast Asia.
• US biotechnology company Illumina’s production facility in Singapore supplying over 90 per cent of the company’s global microarrays and producing 60 per cent of its sequencing consumables, including reagents and kits.

"Illumina's products are exported to medical research hubs globally to diagnose and study diseases." Goh said.

Recent investments in precision medicine by global biopharmaceutical companies

In May 2024, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced a US$1.5 billion (S$2.05 billion) project to build the world’s first end-to-end facility in Singapore for the production of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which are highly targeted cancer treatments.

ADCs are a next-generation therapeutic method. They use targeted antibodies to deliver highly potent drugs directly to cancer cells, effectively killing the cancer cells. Because of this precision, they are often referred to as 'magic bullets.'

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also set up a high-potency drug production facility and laboratory in Singapore in Nov 2022 to manufacture key components for ADCs.

Fitch Solutions’ BMI report noted that Singapore’s robust research and development capabilities, combined with significant investments from multinational pharmaceutical  companies, will support the country’s rapid development in precision medicine.

Singapore has more than 60 biopharmaceutical plants, which produced products worth a total of S$18.7 billion in 2023, employing over 9,500 people, an increase of 78 per cent over the past 10 years.

The biomedical science industry, including biopharmaceuticals and medical technology, accounted for 2.6 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product in 2023, producing products worth nearly S$38 billion for the global market.
 

Growing ecosystem to support the growth of precision medicine startups in Singapore

In addition to large international firms, many local startups are also entering the precision medicine field, striving to develop groundbreaking new treatments.

For instance, Hummingbird Bioscience, a Singapore-based company with about 100 employees, licensed its first ADC for US$430 million (S$588.37 million) to US-based Endeavor BioMedicines in October 2023.

Hummingbird Bioscience's Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Ooi, told Lianhe Zaobao: "To our knowledge, this may be one of the largest deals in Singapore's biotechnology industry to date. Endeavor has publicly disclosed that before obtaining the license from us, they evaluated 150 ADCs before deciding to adopt ours. This proves that Singapore has the ability to develop technology that is on par with other parts of the world."

Hummingbird’s ADC targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) receptor. Excessive HER3 protein is usually found in patients with lung cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and ovarian cancer.

After announcing the completion of a US$132.5 million (S$181.3 million) Series C financing in April 2024, Endeavor intends to start Phase I and Phase II clinical trials for the HER3 antibody-drug by the end of 2024. If successfully commercialised, Hummingbird will be able to earn royalties.

However, Ooi adds: "It may take five to ten years for a new drug to enter the market. This is a process that spans many years."

The research and development (R&D) capabilities of Singapore startups have also attracted attention from medical giants and venture capital.

In September 2023, Johnson & Johnson announced a collaboration with EDB to help Singapore-based startups develop their early-stage research results into innovative drugs, medical technologies, and solutions more quickly.
 

The collaboration project is executed by JLABS, Johnson & Johnson's life science incubator and accelerator. Responding to Lianhe Zaobao’s query, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson who believes that Singapore's life science field is on the rise, said: "Over the past year, we have made good progress. JLABS' portfolio in Singapore includes 35 companies, of which 53 per cent are located in Singapore, and 88 per cent of the companies focus on precision medicine. This field has also received a large amount of R&D investment and strong government support."
 

Source: "悉看大势：精准医疗时代开启 正中癌疗市场红心 ", published 22 Dec 2024, Lianhe Zaobao. © SPH Media Limited. Adapted with permission.