2.

Medicine Drugs, Surgery, Medical Facilities & Equipment, Alternative Medicine

Future medical technological breakthroughs will build from the incredible progress made in
nanotechnology, biotechnology, computers, the information learned from deciphering the human
genome and other scientific and technical areas.
- Singapore built state-of-the-art biomedical research parks:
The Biopolis, a biomedical research complex of seven buildings that houses 2,000 scientists, working
in close partnership to develop, fund, and build life science companies and facilities.
Medicine:
DRUGS
- Many major pharmaceutical companies have set up their regional headquarters and manufacturing
plants in Singapore, attracted by the excellent physical and regulatory infrastructure, global
connectivity and skilled manpower available.
E.g. Global pharmaceutical companies: Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, Lonza, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer,
Sanofi-Aventis and Schering-Plough.
These companies operate multi-purpose plants with the capability to manufacture a wide range of
active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), biologics and nutritionals.
E.g. Novartis announced in 2007 that it will be building its largest manufacturing plant in Singapore.
This S$1.02 billion plant will produce cutting-edge drugs made from living cells.
E.g. GlaxoSmithKlines (GSK) investments include a development facility with a S$100 million
extension manufacturing some of its latest respiratory products, a S$50 million drug technology
centre and a new S$115 million R&D pilot plant to cater to its extensive pipeline of new chemical
entities.

MEDICINE
- The National Heart Centre Singapore is currently the only Asian site to have started in the CARE II
Study which evaluates the use of the CardioMind SparrowTM Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System
(Sparrow Stent), an improved version of the current stents in the market.
- Other breakthroughs in surgical techniques for Singapore include a new orthopedic technique to
tackle the high failure rates associated with conventional methods of mending Acromioclavicular Joint
(ACJ) dislocations and sophisticated keyhole surgery with just one strategic cut and no visible
scarring. Singapore has also emerged as a top regional eye specialist centre for advanced corneal
transplant and implant procedures. With success rates topping 90%, the country also serves as a
training hub for eye surgeons worldwide.
Medicine:
Medical Facilities & Equipment Recent inventions include nanotubes which can sniff out cancer
agents in cells and nanosensors which can smell cancer. Children with autism can use alternative
keyboards to communicate with their families and the world. Other technologies that already exist, are
under development or are predicted by experts include biosensors, home/ self-monitoring devices,
virtual medicine, computer-aided diagnosis and neural stimulation.
The future holds the possibility of a chip, strategically placed in the brain that could prevent epileptic
seizures or allow someone who has lost a limb to control an artificial arm just by thinking about it.
Also, for the future of human reproduction, scientists at Cornell University have grown mice embryos

in man-made, bubble shaped wombs, which are artificial wombs (mechanisms that are used to grow
an embryo outside of the body of a female).
Singapore: Medical Facilities in Singapore are well-established and easily accessible by one and all.
Singapore has private as well as public hospitals and specialist centres for the benefit of its residents
and citizens. Singapore is also a centre to attend to and treat medical problems with traditional
Chinese medicine too.
The specialist centers for providing specialized treatment related to blood diseases, dental problems,
skin care, cancer, cardiac disease, neurosurgery, eye diseases and mental disorders are available.
Some of the public specialist centers are National Skin Centre, National Cancer Centre, National Heart
Centre, National Neuroscience Institute and Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital. Wellestablished and top market private hospitals in Singapore include Gleneagles Hospital and Camden
Medical Centre. The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre offers highly specialised
oncology treatment.
Singapore also houses many rehabilitation centres and nursing homes for the aged and senior citizens
who require treatment and post illness care. Some of them include the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare
Centre and Saint Andrew's Community Hospital. The Ren Ci Hospital endeavours to provide medical
care and assistance to the needy and old aged people irrespective of religion and race.
Medicine:
Alternative Medicine
Complementary and alternative medicine refers to medical products and practices that are not part of
standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy and allied health
professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine means
treatments that you use instead of standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard
treatments that you use along with standard ones. It encompasses therapies with a historical or
cultural, rather than a scientific, basis. Some therapies include homeopathy & naturopathy,
acupuncture, hypnotherapy, detoxification, reflexology, TCM, bone-setting, jamu and Ayurveda.
Singapore: Singapore, being an Asian country, is home to numerous traditional healing practices. The
question arises whether these are considered alternative as opposed to traditional, given our
cultural and historical heritage. However, it must be noted that Western medicine is considered the
norm in Singapore as employers and schools generally only accept medical certificates or claims from
clinics which practice Western medicine. Still, traditional medicine has always been fairly popular
with Singaporeans. Reputable TCM clinics include those under the Eu Yan Sang and Ma Kuang
brands.
Biotechnology: General Information
Biotechnology, broadly defined, is using living organisms to solve problems or to make products.
From this definition, one could say that biotechnology has been practiced by human society for a long
time, in such activities as baking bread, brewing, breeding crops or animals.
Today, it is still biotechnology, but scientists have a better understanding of cells, biological
molecules, proteins, DNA and other building blocks of life. Scientists are now using nanotechnology to
manipulate life at the atomic level.
Some of the current and predicted capabilities of biotechnology include ending world hunger, creating
foods that are better for you and last longer and disease and pest-resistant crops, slowing of aging,
biological fabrication of clothing, plastics, and building materials and ultra-strong, lightweight
materials.
Biotechnology: Genetics &

Gene therapy
The Human Genome Project refers to the international effort to discover all the human genes and
make them accessible for further biological study. Many consider this project to be the most
significant scientific undertaking of our time. The ultimate goal is to improve human health. Genetic
manipulation refers to altering the genes of cells and organisms and genetic engineering means
creating new genes, proteins and organisms.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future,
this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patients cells instead of
using drugs or surgery. Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including
replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene, inactivating, or
knocking out a mutated gene that is functioning improperly and introducing a new gene into the
body to help fight a disease. Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of
diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the
technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Gene
therapy is currently only being tested for the treatment of diseases that have no other cures.
Singapore: The Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) was established by the Singapore Cabinet to
examine the legal, ethical and social issues arising from research on human biology and behaviour
and its applications and to develop and recommend policies ...on legal, ethical and social issues,
with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of individuals, while allowing the Life Sciences to
develop and realize their full potential for the benefit of mankind. The Human Genetics
Subcommittee is under its umbrella.
Some breakthroughs include the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) scientists making the
groundbreaking discovery of genes that increase the likelihood of causing a form of inflammatory
bowel disease and Singapore scientists discovering new concoction to reprogramme cells into
pluripotent stem cells. The GIS focuses on areas of research such as cancer biology and pharmacology,
stem cell and developmental biology, infectious diseases and human genetics. Its mission is to use
genomic sciences to improve public health and public prosperity. The GIS will pursue the integration
of technology, genetics and biology towards the goal of individualised medicine.
Biotechnology: Stem Cell Research Because of their combined abilities of unlimited expansion and
pluripotency, embryonic stem cells remain a theoretically potential source for regenerative medicine,
designer organs and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Cures could be for diseases such as
Alzheimers Disease, stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons Disease, spinal cord injury, Sickle Cell
Anemia, congestive heart failure, liver regeneration, hepatitis and skin diseases.
Singapore: Singapore allows stem cells to be taken from aborted fetuses or discarded embryos, and
these embryos can be cloned and kept for as long as 14 days to produce stem cells. Players in the
industry include the Singapore Cord Blood Bank and S* Bio. For the latter, cancer research involving
stem cells is done. Local business, ES Cell International, claimed to be the first company to produce
human embryonic stem cell lines commercially in a way that made them suitable for clinical tests. The
GIS attempts to identify and manipulate stem cells to create cures for diseases in various projects
under its stem cell research portfolio.