RETHINKING NEEDS-DRIVEN INNOVATION FROM THE SOUTH Access to Essential Medicines Initiative Seminar

1. RETHINKING NEEDS-DRIVEN INNOVATION FROM THE SOUTH Access to Essential Medicines Initiative Seminar Public Health Program – Open Society Foundation (OSF) Cape Town, South Africa Dec. 13-15, 2010 Thank you

2. Bioscience serving Vietnam

3. Young country: 60% of the Vietnamese population is under 35 years old • A high regard for education: 90% literacy rate • Fast growing investments: The Vietnamese government has recently approved the establishment and/or expansion of fifteen industrial zones (IPs) in the first half of 2006.  These new and expanded IPs add to the more than 130 IZs on 26,500 ha, attracting 4,516 projects valued at $18 billion in foreign capital and $6.4 billion in domestic capital.  Background on the Recent Development of Vietnam

4. Biotech Development and Heath Care Issues of Vietnam • It is important for Vietnamese researchers to investigate the country's medical problems using the sophisticated tools of biotechnology. The problems have long had major negative impacts on the quality of life and the productivities of the people of Vietnam. They include: • The epidemic and endemic of different forms of flu annually • The effects of environment changes and chemicals such as dioxin and other contaminants on the increased incidence of cancer, birth defects, and countless of immune disorders • The increased developments of diabetics, obesity and heart diseases of different forms due to the rapid alterations of life styles and diets • The ever changing of bacterial, viral resistance to drug treatments of tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis, HIV etc.

5. Characteristics of Vietnam Biotechnology • A- Stages • - Initial stage (1995-2000): Acquaintance with biotech sciences, limited application • - Progressive development (2000-2005): Gradual applications of biotechnologies • - Rapid changes (2005-2010): Booming of ideas and research activities, but low productivity • B - Characteristics • Product-driven • Establishing standardized biotechnology • In search for direction/development to make biotech a powerhouse for modernizing Vietnam health care • C- Potentials for Biotech development • - Rapid economic expansion • - Young and highly motivated mentality • - Skillful workers & cost effective services • - Rich natural resources & research objectives

6. Nam-Khoa : The First Vietnam Biotech Company (Partner of Bioland Inc., Seoul, Korea) 1995 Bio-chip Real time PCR 2007

7. MAMPROTECH VIETNAM

9. WHO 2000

10. Proposed Future Development of Vietnam Biotech • in promoting a Health Needs-Driven Model for Broad Service of the Vietnamese Population • Building of a strong infrastructure for R&D toward neglected diseases (vs. R&D programs of developed countries). • Expanding intramural and extramural funding via government incentive policies • Focusing on productions and industrialization for lower costs but higher services. • Increasing international collaborations and investment partnerships with OSI, A-IMBN, GHS-UCSF etc. • Promoting awareness of needs-driven model among research teams within Vietnam