How this S'pore lab accelerates discovery and approval of a new therapy for rare blood disorder

The staff strength at Chugai Pharmabody Research has more than tripled over the past 13 years to 150 today, many of whom are Singaporeans.

When Chugai Pharmaceutical set up its first overseas research base in Singapore in 2012, it brought with it a bold ambition: to turn cutting-edge science into breakthrough therapies for patients everywhere.

That vision achieved a major milestone in 2024, when its Singapore arm,

Chugai Pharmabody Research (CPR)

, created a therapy for a rare and life-threatening blood disorder called Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Chugai's next-generation anti-C5 antibody treats PNH by blocking C5, a protein in the blood that plays a pivotal role in the human body's complement system, which is part of the immune system. It leverages "recycling" antibody technology to bind and neutralise multiple C5 molecules per antibody, extending its effect and reducing the amount of drug needed.

This new therapy not only improves treatment efficiency but also significantly reduces the burden on patients.

The development of the anti-C5 antibody marked a first as well for Singapore -- a drug that was developed in the lab locally and went on to win approval for use in major markets including China, Japan, the US and the European Union.

CPR could not have reached this milestone alone. Positioned within Singapore's vibrant research ecosystem, it had worked closely with multidisciplinary scientists at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to speed up the pace of drug discovery.

While the original antibody technology behind the anti-C5 medicine was developed in Chugai's laboratories in Japan, the discovery and development work was led from Singapore.

"We believed that concentrating all research in Japan might limit the development of next-generation technologies. Therefore, we decided to establish a new laboratory in Singapore and divide the roles so that Singapore would handle biopharmaceutical research while Japan would focus on technology development," says Dr Igawa Tomoyuki, Vice President and Head of Research at Chugai.

The project moved forward through a tightly integrated working model, with Singapore leading drug discovery and development, supported by specialised research in Japan. This approach helped shorten development timelines while maintaining scientific rigour. It also led to the accelerated completion of the new therapy in approximately three years. On average, it takes 10 to 15 years to progress from drug discovery to regulatory approval.

"Because bringing a new drug to market is such a long and complex process, success rates in drug development are extremely low. That's why having a Singapore-developed drug now reaching patients worldwide is such a significant achievement," says Dr Tomoyuki.

"Singapore offered a diverse and talented workforce, and the one-hour time difference made it easy to coordinate closely with the teams in Japan," he adds.

Since 2012 when Chugai first set up a drug discovery centre and research lab here, it has invested over $700 million in Singapore.

Over the years, the Japanese biopharmaceutical giant has grown both its local operations and talent pool.

One example of local talent rising through Chugai's ranks is Dr Adrian Wee, who joined CPR as a researcher in 2016. Today, the Singaporean is director and research manager, leading teams focused on advancing the understanding of disease biology and translating research into innovative therapeutics.

Besides mentoring scientific teams, his other key responsibilities include ensuring regulatory compliance and fostering cross-functional collaboration -- critical to accelerating the drug discovery and development process. For him, a career in the pharmaceutical industry is a chance to address unmet medical needs through innovative solutions.

"At CPR, we are well resourced to test our research hypotheses, and we have the autonomy to design experiments that allow us to stretch our ideas and think out of the box," he says.

Singapore is home to over 60 biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, with eight out of the world's top 10 biopharmaceuticals companies anchoring manufacturing or R&D operations here. Today, the sector hires more than 9,500 workers, an employment growth of 78 per cent over the past 10 years.

Singapore offers these companies a stable and pro-business operating environment, skilled talent, advanced manufacturing capabilities, a thriving research ecosystem, as well as strong intellectual property protection.

It was for these reasons that Chugai picked Singapore for its first overseas R&D base, complementing the two research laboratories it operates in Japan.

The Singapore arm, CPR, has grown steadily over the years - from an initial headcount of 42 people to over 150 staff today, comprising 11 nationalities as of July 1, 2025.

Dr Tomoyuki notes that Singapore's ability to attract global research talent was key to CPR's success. "In this field, having access to PhD-level talent is critical. Singapore gave us that, along with the diversity of perspectives needed for innovation," he says.

Support from Singapore government agencies also played a role. The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and A*Star helped CPR connect with Singapore's broader research ecosystem, including universities and public research institutes.

One example is the dengue fever treatment development project initiated in 2015 in partnership with A*Star, in response to the rising global burden of dengue linked to climate change.

The project was based on a rare human antibody, discovered by scientists from A*Star Singapore Immunology Network and the National University of Singapore, that could neutralise all four dengue virus types - a scientific breakthrough given dengue's complexity. This was jointly developed with Chugai, showcasing Singapore's strengths in public-private partnerships and the translation of advanced research into potential therapeutics.

"Singapore creates an environment where government, academia and industry can collaborate effectively. That made it easier for us to establish the right connections and move quickly on projects," says Dr Tomoyuki.

The collaboration between academia, which conducts basic research into disease causes, and biopharmaceutical companies, which develop drugs based on these findings, is essential in this industry.

Looking ahead, Chugai hopes to play a more active role in Singapore's life sciences ecosystem by forging more partnerships with academia and opening up to external collaborations that spark new ideas and biomedical breakthroughs.

"Chugai aims to double its R&D output by 2030. To achieve this, we want to increase our presence in Singapore's academic community and expand collaborations with excellent researchers," says Dr Tomoyuki. "Singapore has built strong capabilities in manufacturing and clinical trials, but there's still room for more drug research and discovery."