That the biotech industry will soon be outsourced to Asia is a trend that almost everyone expected. In 2006, we'll be likely to see more of that, as science parks and facilities that match those in the US and Europe are developed. Prospects of tax breaks and other incentives, as well as the lower operating overhead costs, attract a lot of biotech firms into setting up shop in the region.

An article from the TechNews World features the case of Bridge Pharmaceuticals, whose preclinical drug development activities are set-up at a new facility at Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Beijing.

"The location is great -- outside of Beijing but far enough away that you can get to it from the airport without having to drive through [the city]," Joyce pointed out. The facility was designed to Bridge Pharamceuticals' specifications, he continued, which means the company can manufacture FDA-compliant products there.
When the firm began looking for a new site, "our CEO did an in-depth survey, visiting several countries to see where were the best places to do this work," said Joyce. "Singapore and Hong Kong met our criteria in that respect, but their pricing was close to U.S. pricing."
The choice narrowed to India, Taiwan and China. "It quickly became obvious we would settle on China, so we began looking there."

Bridge Pharmaceuticals is just one of many, if the success of the Impact China Summit held last September is an indication. The second summit is already scheduled to take place on May 21 to 24, 2006 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing.

This second conference will tackle the following topics:

• Case Studies from multinational Pharmaceutical Companies
• Requirements for Success & Challenges of Conducting Clinical Trials in China
• A Comparison of China vs. India, Japan, Asia-Pacific
• Updates on Intellectual Property & Patent Protection/Enforcement
• Venture Capital Investment, Technology Valuation, East/West M&A's
• The Emerging New Drug R&D Landscape in China
• Manufacturing, API's, and Generics
• SFDA Insights on Clinical Trials, GMP, and Drugs/Biologics
• Commercialization & Marketing Strategies in the Chinese Market
• East/West Partnerships, Licensing, & Business Development Strategies

Click here for an overview and registration details .