At YSP headquarters with Senior Regional Manager Mr. Ong Pang Toon, Junior International Business Executive Ms. Yeine Lee, Unilab Business Development Group Director Ms. Elaine Munsayac, Vice- President Ms. Grace Yap, RiteMED Group President and Unilab Vice-President Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, and International Business Div. General Manager Mr. Peter Sia..
Pursuant to the partnership of MSU llT and United Laboratories. Inc. (Unilab) for the development of a utilization/commercial pathway in research and studies on herbs and plants of the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM), and upon the invitation of Unilab, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Jinky B. Bornales and PRISM Director Dr. Mylene M. Uy, conducted a visit and benchmarking activity with Yung Shin Pharma (YSP), Alpha Active Industries (AAl) and UCSI in Malaysia. They were joined by their hosts, Atty. Jose Maria A. Ochave, Senior Vice-President of Unilab and Ms. Elaine A. Munsayac of the Business Development Group of Unilab,
YSP is a pharmaceutical manufacturer for both ethical and over the counter segments. lt specializes in the production of oral dosage format, liquid, external and sterile preparations. During the visit, we met with the company’s Vice-President, Ms. Grace Yap Yen Mee, the Senior Regional Manager Mr. Ong Pang Toon and other company officials. After some presentations and discussions, we were given a tour of the company’s facility.
Alpha Active Industries (AAl), on the other hand, is a subsidiary of YSP. Ml is a company that manufactures a range of products – particularly traditional herbs, health supplements and food supplements. The reliability of Ml’s product/s is tested via in-house R&D and in collaboration with local partner Universities – one of which is UCSI University. For the visit, the MSU-IIT and Unilab team were introduced to key officials of the company headed by Chief Executive Officer Mr. Chong Kak Siong and Dr. Chong Pei Nee. Presentations and plant tour then ensued.
UCS| University is the first private university to provide Food Science course in Malaysia and is considered one of the best universities to provide the course. UCSI is a Praxis University that focuses on developing their students to not only excel in studies but to also have the ability to apply that knowledge into the industry. With AAI’s access to one of the best research teams in Malaysia for Food Science Research (i.e. professional nutritionist, food scientist, biotechnologist and engineers), AAI is able to provide a one-stop solution from formulation, registration, manufacturing and delivery to their customers. During the visit, the MSU-IIT and Unilab team met with officials and research faculty of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Faculty of Applied Sciences. The University’s profile was presented to the team by the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Dr. Mogana. For MSU-IIT, Dr. Bornales gave an overview of MSU-IIT followed by an introduction of PRISM and its D3NP Core Program by Dr. Uy. A tour of the University with emphasis on the two departments then followed.
Over-all, the benchmarking activity was a fruitful experience. It gave Dr. Bornales and Dr. Uy more insights on the dynamics among pharmaceutical companies and more importantly, on industry-academe partnerships.
From L to R: Ma. Lourdes Garganera, UNILAB Assistant Vice President of the Office of Regulatory Affairs; Dr. Jinky Bornales, MSU-IIT Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension; Sukarno Tanggol, DPA, MSU-IIT Chancellor; Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, UNILAB Senior Vice President; Dr. Mylene Uy, MSU-IIT Acting Director of the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM); and Elaine Munsayac, UNILAB Director of the Executive Office.
Southeast Asia’s top pharmaceutical company Unilab, Inc. has forged an agreement with Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) for joint undertakings on the research and development of nutraceuticals and dietary products.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a major milestone for the Philippine pharmaceutical sector as it signals the start of a strong collaboration between the academe and industry players.
“There has been no real collaboration between the industry and the academe yet. According to USAID, there seems to be a mutual mistrust between the industry and the academe,” said Sukarno D. Tanggol, DPA, chancellor of MSU-IIT.
The MOU which Unilab and MSU-IIT signed on February 6 at the Unilab Corporate Center in Mandaluyong City effectively broke the said mistrust. The MOU is the beginning of a partnership, not just between the two entities, but more so between the industry and academe.
Unilab, being the leading pharmaceutical company in Southeast Asia, has been vigorously pursuing social partnerships, and Unilab Senior Vice President Atty. Jose Maria A. Ochave stressed that he strongly believes the industry and the academe could work together.
“Many things can happen outside Manila, that’s why Unilab chose MSU-IIT for this partnership,” Ochave said.
He also said that they are looking for more R&D-focused universities outside of Metro Manila whose products or services they can help develop so these can be utilized by the people. “We need more industry-academe collaborations so that the results of government-funded researches do not end up simply gathering dust in the cabinets,” Ochave said.
From L to R: Ma. Lourdes Garganera, UNILAB Assistant Vice President of the Office of Regulatory Affairs; Dr. Jinky Bornales, MSU-IIT Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension; Sukarno Tanggol, DPA, MSU-IIT Chancellor; Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, UNILAB Senior Vice President; Dr. Mylene Uy, MSU-IIT Acting Director of the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM); and Elaine Munsayac, UNILAB Director of the Executive Office.
MSU-IIT, through its Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM), is engaged in researches and studies on dietary products, nutraceuticals, and Mindanao’s flora and fauna.
Nutraceuticals are food products or parts of a food that help treat or prevent certain diseases. Through this partnership, Unilab and MSU-IIT will collaborate in the review and evaluation of research studies with potential commercial benefit.
“We are grateful that Unilab deemed MSU-IIT as a worthy partner. It has been my dream as a chancellor for the university to be known internationally, and this partnership signals that Mindanao has institutions which can be tapped for the development of the country. In particular, PRISM is now envisioning to go over natural products. Through this partnership, not only is Unilab helping MSU-IIT in data, but we are also going to be able to help the communities in Mindanao, because there are many researchable products in MSU-IIT and in the areas nearby,” Tanggol said.
Tanggol is optimistic that this partnership would also provide more space for MSU-IIT researchers to spread their wings.
“This partnership also aims to show that there is a productive and prosperous career in science and technology. And in Unilab, there is a big need for science and tech graduates,” ends Ochave.
