Outstanding industry players recognized at Bio Taiwan 2018

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) CH Biotech R&D Co., and TaiGen Biotechnology Co. on Thursday received gold awards for their outstanding achievements in the biotechnology industry during the opening ceremony of Bio Taiwan 2018, Asia's leading event for biotech industry, according to the event's organizers.

Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co. and medical devices producer, Wiltrom Co. won the award for biotech companies with the greatest potential, while iXensor, SynCore Biotechnology Co., and TAHO Pharmaceuticals Ltd. clinched innovation awards.

TaiGen was rewarded for developing antibiotics that have been licensed for use in more than 30 countries and for completing a second-stage clinical trial of a new drug for hepatitis C. The company also plans to submit an application for its newly developed orally administered antiflu drug with the United States Food and Drug Administration's Investigational New Drug (IND) program in 2019.

CH Biotech was recognized for its operational R&D model in Taiwan, production in the United States, and sales around the globe, developing agricultural products to help solve the global aging population, climate change and food shortage problems. Its partnership with the world's largest provider of crop inputs and services, Nutrien, to sell products to the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and Argentina was also one of the reasons it won the award, according to the organizers.

As part of Bio Taiwan 2018, an exhibition opened Thursday at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei and will run until July 22, with 1,400 booths connected to 600 biotchnology companies from countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, the U.S. and Canada.

The exhibition, which showcases biotech products in 12 categories, is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors, according to the organizers.