3M opens first Asia-Pacific R&D lab in Singapore

The 1,850 sq m laboratory, which is 3M’s first in the region, will offer a range of inhaler and transdermal patch R&D capabilities, comparable to those provided by existing labs in the UK and US. The facility can also manufacture clinical supplies for Phase I to IIa trials.

Jim Vaughan, division VP of 3M Drug Delivery Systems told in-PharmaTechnologist why 3M selected Singapore as the location for the new lab, explaining that the country is widely regarded as Asia's leading bio-cluster for drug development and medical device innopvation.

"Singapore has an excellent infrastructure to facilitate economic growth, and an exceptional pool of talented scientists, technologists and regulatory expertise specific to this region’s needs. It has an ideal location for serving our Asia Pacific partners in a timely manner, in their time zones​."

He went on to say that: "3M is working with a significant number of leading pharmaceutical companies in Asia Pacific and will continue to look for opportunities for its drug delivery technologies across the entire region.​"

Asia-Pacific and beyond​

Singapore’s well documented strength as a global drug development and manufacturing hub, which stems from a decade-long government investment programme, was a big part of the attraction for 3M.

And, while the lab’s core focus will be on serving local and international customers that have operations in Singapore and the region, 3M stressed that it has a role in its wider global development network.

“Products developed by the Singapore lab will be suitable for manufacture in 3M’s global network of manufacturing sites, and will be developed to conform to global standards​.”