Dr Patrick Y Yang’s contributions have placed Singapore on the global map for pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing.

Dr Patrick Y Yang, Head of Pharma Global Technical Operations, Roche, is an important pioneer in Singapore’s biomedical manufacturing sector. He was instrumental in leading two companies’ decision to locate their firstin-Asia chemical-based pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing facilities in Singapore, thereby establishing Singapore’s strong track record in these high-value, complex manufacturing activities.

For Dr Yang, a large part of why businesses like to locate here is “the advantage of being in the hub of the region.” He elaborated, “Because of its pro-business policies, Singapore is a great place to live and work. Easy access, incredibly reliable and dependable government system and the workforce quality here is at a consistently high level – there is a solid work ethic.”

From the year 1997 to 2000, when Dr Yang was the Vice President of Asia Pacific Manufacturing Operations in Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), he was pivotal in the company’s decision to locate its first greenfield Asia Pacific pharmaceutical chemical manufacturing plant in Singapore. Under Dr. Yang’s leadership, MSD Singapore developed a high-performing team that achieved many significant milestones. These included an exemplary safety record, successful technology transfers, and zero observations from regulatory authorities worldwide. These stellar achievements, even in the context of MSD’s exceedingly high standards, gave MSD’s management confidence in Singapore. As a result, MSD set up a second pharmaceutical plant and subsequently its Asia-Pacific headquarters here in 2007.

When Singapore made her foray into high-value biologics manufacturing in the early 2000s, Dr Yang had moved to Genentech - one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. As the executive overseeing Genentech’s manufacturing operations, Dr Yang led Genentech’s first foray into Asia through the acquisition of Singapore’s first commercial-scale biologics plant from Swiss based contract-manufacturer, Lonza. This was soon followed by Genentech’s decision to build a second biologics plant in Singapore.

Both world class facilities were opened in 2009 by Roche, Genentech’s parent company. The US$500 million (S$700 million) combined investment represented the largest biologics investment by a single investor in Singapore. Today, Singapore is a key global manufacturing base in Asia for Roche and Genentech, where their most innovative products (e.g. Avastin, Lucentis, Herceptin) will be manufactured.

“By producing important and truly innovative medicines in Singapore, we have an opportunity to help patients around the globe. I expect that Singapore will play an even more critical role in the coming decades as we advance in the fight against life- threatening diseases,” said Dr Yang.