In early January 2025, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore announced the signing of an agreement to create a special economic zone to help bolster and attract global investment.
The special zone is located in Malaysia’s southernmost Johor state, bordering Singapore, and will offer tax breaks and incentives for 11 economic sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace, tourism and energy.
In a press conference, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, “When negotiating the agreement, both sides have actively engaged stakeholders to ensure that the JS-SEZ (Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone) has the conditions to help our businesses grow together for the longer term.
“The greater potential for the JS-SEZ is not just about Singapore businesses going to Johor, but it’s about both sides working together to attract new investment projects globally.”
“Very rarely do you find two countries working together as a team. These two countries have a common strategy, to assist one another, to work and benefit from each other’s strengths,” added Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.
Within the coming five years, officials hope the tax breaks and incentives will attract 50 projects within the zone and create 20,000 skilled jobs.
Of the announcement, Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) which is engaged in cancer biologics, said, “The world now has a new special economic zone with tax incentives in a vibrant, new and huge Southeast Asian market. This will surely attract significant new investments and business ideas, especially in healthcare due to rapidly aging Singapore and the region as well as due to Johor’s cost competitiveness in land and labor.
“For CytoMed, this is great news as we had the vision to set up our business in Johor back in 2018. Now, multi-national corporations are looking to set up in Johor.”
Read more about CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) HERE
Or read more about the special economic zone HERE
The cancer therapeutics landscape is rapidly changing. It wasn’t long ago, 2017 to be exact, that the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was approved by the FDA for use in hematological, or blood cancer therapies.
To date, over 34,000 patients have been treated with this breakthrough therapy, with some early clinical trials patients experiencing blood cancer remissions of a decade or more.
Yet, roughly 7 years after the first FDA approval, most CAR T-cell therapies continue to target blood cancers, and blood cancers alone. Due to the unique, hostile environment surrounding solid tumors and the physical barriers which impede “traditional” CAR T-cell infiltration, the therapy has, unfortunately, shown little efficacy in combating the majority of cancers.
However, a recent study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, by a group of researchers, explores advances in CAR T-cell therapy for the targeting of solid tumors.
“After a decade of relatively modest results for solid tumors, recent clinical trials and patient reports have also started to yield promising outcomes in glioblastoma and other challenging solid tumor entities,” said Nature.
With solid tumors accounting for roughly 90% of adult cancers, positive outcomes shown in clinical trials are giving hope to tens of millions of cancer patients.
And one such clinical trial, the ANGELICA Trial, has just begun.
CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC), recently announced it has dosed its first clinical trial patient for “Allogeneic CAR-Gamma Delta T Cell Therapy in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors or Hematological Malignancies.”
Notably, CytoMed’s therapeutic targets blood cancers and solid tumor cancers, which if successful could lead to a therapy with far more versatility than those of the past.
“Dosing the first patient in the ANGELICA Trial, CytoMed has reached a significant milestone as a clinical stage biopharma. The ANGELICA Trial aims to assess the safety and potential efficacy of an allogeneic CAR-T therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors or hematological malignancies,” said Peter Choo, CytoMed’s Chairman.
“This is different from the current CAR-T cell therapy that typically involves taking patient’s blood cells and modifying these cells by grafting an artificial protein, known as a chimeric antigen receptor, on the surface of T cells, a type of white blood cell…
“The ANGELICA Trial taps on blood drawn from eligible (healthy) donors, potentially improving the quality of CAR-T cells, reducing production costs and increasing patients’ accessibility to therapy,” said the company.
To review CytoMed’s press release on its ANGELICA Trial, and to keep up to date on further developments, visit HERE
Or, or access to the journal Nature Biotechnology report on CAR T therapies for solid tumors, visit HERE
Recent research conducted by DataM Intelligence shows the global CAR T-cell therapy market for certain cancers is expected to reach $11.5 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 24.3% during its forecast period.
Further, Nova One Advisor says the market for CAR T-cell therapies across a broad range of cancers is projected to be valued at $35.1 billion by 2033, in the US alone. Globally, the firm projects the market to reach $127.5 billion by 2033, with a 30.5% CAGR through its forecast period.
The DataM report, which is 176 pages in full, says, “Increasing research and development is generating next-generation CAR T treatments, such as those that use innovative engineering methods and target several antigens. In concern with a variety of cancers, the major developments increase therapy options and improve the effectiveness of Car T therapies.”
Regarding the DataM report, Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) said, “Indeed, new CAR T treatments, like the next generation allogenic off-the-shelf CAR-Gamma Delta T Cell Therapy we’ve developed and have recently begun our first Phase I in-human trial with, are specifically designed to increase not only therapy options, but to allow for both solid and blood cancer targeting; rather than the majority of CAR T therapies which have traditionally only targeted hematologic cancers.”
While CAR T-cell treatments have already shown to be quite promising, DataM notes many patients cannot afford CAR T-cell therapy, due to its time-consuming manufacturing process and expensive cost, which frequently exceeds several hundred thousand dollars per patient.
This is where Chairman Peter Choo believes CytoMed’s technology could soon offer an advantage. The company is developing its patent-pending technology into gamma delta T cell and natural killer (NK) cell-based Immunotherapeutics as an “off-the-shelf” therapeutic.
Mr. Choo explains, “Capitalizing on Southeast Asia’s low cost infrastructure and by developing our technology as an off-the-shelf therapeutic, we aim to bring the costs of CAR T-cell therapies down significantly, opening life-saving treatment to a much larger patient pool.”
Coincidentally, DataM Intelligence says the fastest growing region for this high CAGR market is Asia, where CytoMed is located.
To learn more about CytoMed’s Phase 1 clinical trial, visit HERE
Or for access the DataM Intelligence report, visit HERE
Or for access to the Nova 1 Advisor report, visit HERE
New research from Precedence Research is forecasting exceptional growth in the burgeoning regenerative medicine market. Currently valued at roughly $35 billion, Precedence now predicts its global compound annual growth rate (CAGR) at a robust 18%, reaching $154 billion by 2033.
However, while the global CAGR is indeed robust, the Asia Pacific market is among the fastest growing, outpacing global growth with a CAGR of 23.6%[1]
To put this phenomenal growth forecast in perspective, Precedence Research has pegged the global artificial intelligence market as having a CAGR of 19.1% through 2034.[2]
According to the Precedence report, “With the significant rise in the prevalence of chronic ailments and traumatic injuries, organ transplantation and regenerative therapy procedures have gained immense attention…
“Moreover, the rising advancements in stem cell research significantly contribute to the market growth, as it plays a crucial role in generative medicine studies.”[3]
Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) said, of the forecast, “The growth in the regenerative medicine market is quite astounding but not unexpected given the recent scientific advances. There is no surprise that the Asian market outpace the global market as the Asian population is significantly aging, and combined with increased lifespan, brings about greater demand for the market. “
“The regenerative therapies that we are developing through our latest acquisition will not be exclusive to the Asian market, but we are in the right place at the right time.”
Read more about CytoMed Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: GDTC) acquisition and entry into the regenerative medicine market HERE
Or read the full Precedence Research report HERE
[1] Regenerative Medicine Market is Targeting USD 154.05 (globenewswire.com)
[2] Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Size to Reach USD 3,680.47 Bn by 2034 (precedenceresearch.com)
[3] Regenerative Medicine Market is Targeting USD 154.05 (globenewswire.com)