HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS and AREAS for COLLABORATION Jaime C. Montoya, MD MSc Executive Director Philippine Council for Health Research and Development DOST

PCHRD Health Biotechnology Plan (2004 – 2010) To generate knowledge, products and technologies to improve quality and effectiveness of health interventions

Health Bioindustry with focus on Pharmaceuticals (2006 – 2010) One of the five flagship programs of the DOST PCHRD as the lead coordinating agency

Health Bioindustry with focus of Pharmaceuticals (2006 – 2010) 4 Focus Areas: Natural Products New Chemical Entities (New Drugs) Off-Patent Drugs Functional Foods

Health BioIndustry Focus Areas a. Natural products  Terrestrial plants  Marine /aquatic species  Functional foods

Health BioIndustry Focus Areas b. New Chemical Entities  Diagnostics  Vaccines  Drugs

On-going activities a.DOST agencies - AMOR - Cancer genetics - Dengue viral antigen production - Genetic characterization of SARS - Edible vaccine production - RTD on bioinformatics

On-going activities b. Other agencies - marine invertebrates as potential anti-tumor and anti-bacterial agents - lectins from sea cucumbers as anti- cancer agents

On-going activities b. Other agencies - sediment microorganisms as potential drug source - dengue vaccine production

Areas of Collaboration 1. Development of pharmaceutical products for priority health problems/needs  Diagnostics for prevention and control of priority diseases  Drugs and vaccines

Areas of Collaboration 2. Development of natural products for priority health problems/needs  Alternatives to modern drugs  Include herbal products, functional foods and nutraceuticals

Areas of Collaboration 3. Development of other technologies and processes for emerging health problems  Indicators for SARS, dengue, influenza, avian flu  Environment-friendly products to control vectors of disease e.g. Malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis  Appropriate waste management and recycling biotechnologies for different settings

Areas of Collaboration 4. Development of Bioinformatics  Formulation of a national bioinformatics infrastructure through centralized high performance computational resources and locally deployed computational resources  Strengthening and sustaining the national bioinformatics community

Strategies in Research and Development Defining niche areas  Focusing on particular niche areas in health biotechnology  Identifying areas that leverage some specific technological strength or resource  Relying on competitive advantage

Strategies in Research and Development Research Priority Setting  Focusing on local health needs in an environment of limited resources  Fostering innovation and resourcefulness  Ensuring relevance and maximizing impact  sustaining government support

Strategies in Research and Development Close Linkages  Multisectoral and intersectoral partnership  Consultative and cooperative spirit  Ensuring relevance and maximizing impact  Sustaining government support

Strategies in Research and Development  Strengthening of HR development programs  Continued facilities upgrading

Strategies in Research and Development  Wider and balanced information dissemination activities

If there is technological advance without social advance, there is, almost automatically, an increase in human misery Michael Harrington, The Other America

THANK YOU VERY MUCH !