JUNEASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK8ASTRA ZENECA TO BUILD ANTI-BODY DRUG FACILITY IN SINGAPOREBLUE ORIGIN CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AFTER TWO YEARSAstraZeneca plans to build a $1.5 billion manufacturing facility in Singapore to produce antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and targeted cancer therapies, the British company announced on Monday (May 20). This facility will be AstraZeneca's first end-to-end ADC production site and will be supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). Specific details on potential financial incentives from the Singapore government were not disclosed.AstraZeneca, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, has been expanding into markets like China, Indonesia, and India to diversify its supply chain. Its breast cancer therapy, Enhertu, is manufactured by its partner, Daiichi Sankyo, in Japan. ADCs are engineered antibodies that bind to tumor cells and release cell-killing chemicals, involving a complex, multi-stage production process that includes generating the antibody, synthesizing the chemotherapy drug and its linker, conjugating these elements, and filling the completed ADC substance.AstraZeneca's ADC portfolio includes six wholly owned ADCs in clinical trials and more in pre-clinical development. EDB chairman Png Cheong Boon welcomed AstraZeneca's investment, emphasizing its support for Singapore's development and manufacturing of precision medicines, as well as its potential to create jobs and economic opportunities. The biomedical sciences industry, comprising the biopharmaceutical and medical technology sectors, is a key contributor to Singapore's economy. In 2022, this industry accounted for 2.3 percent of Singapore's gross domestic product and produced nearly S$39 billion worth of products for the global market. Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, launched a six-person crew to the edge of space from West Texas on Sunday, May 19. This launch marked the resumption of the company's space tourism business, which had been on hold since its suborbital New Shepard rocket was grounded in 2022. Among the crew was Ed Dwight, the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s, who, at the age of 90 years and eight months, became the oldest person in space."I am ecstatic," Dwight said upon landing, celebrating his historic flight. Dwight, along with the other passengers, was seated in a gumdrop-shaped capsule atop the rocket. The launch took place at Blue Origin's facilities near Van Horn, a remote desert town. The rocket separated from the capsule, which ascended beyond Earth's atmosphere to an altitude of 105.7 kilometers. Meanwhile, the booster returned to land as planned.Ed Dwight was originally selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to train as an astronaut but had never flown to space until this mission. With this flight, Blue Origin has now flown 37 private astronauts, including "Star Trek" star William Shatner, who flew in 2021 at the age of 90 years and six months.The crew included a venture capitalist and a pilot, who were paying customers of Blue Origin's space tourism business. Dwight's seat, however, was sponsored by a space-focused nonprofit and a private foundation. Blue Origin has not disclosed the cost of tickets for its customers. NEWSROOM
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