With biomarkers and biotherapeutics gaining significant attention in 2022, BioSpectrum spoke in detail with Jason Neo (R), Director, Marketing J-KOSEA, SCIEX, Singapore and Jose Castro-Perez (L), Senior Director, Market Development, SCIEX, Framingham, Massachusetts, CA, to find out about the company’s plans in these areas. 

From your perspective, what are the top highlights for SCIEX in 2022? 

Jose: The 2022 launches of the Zeno SWATH DIA and the RNA 9000 Purity and Integrity kit have deepened the level of support we can provide to customers. We have also been working on the software side of our solutions with an improved SCIEX OS that increases efficiency and reduces method maintenance. And we are continuing to grow the extractables and leachables (E&L) library to further streamline development and integration processes. 

How much growth is expected this year in the APAC region?

Jason: According to Market Data Forecast, the size of the APAC biopharmaceutical market was $40.25 billion in 2021 and is estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 10 per cent to $64.96 billion by 2026. This level of growth feels feasible, particularly when you consider the continued strong investments from the government and the private sector. 

Throughout the year in APAC, bioanalysis saw increased demand. We spent a lot of time aligning with customers to optimise lab capabilities or scale-up for future demand applying a customer-centric approach to the CE and LC-MS solutions we are delivering.

How is the biotherapeutics market developing in APAC? How is SCIEX contributing to it?

Jason: This area continues to grow rapidly across locations like China, Japan, and India, but we are also seeing activity in areas like Southeast Asia. This is encouraging because it means that we are making steps forward in processes becoming more accessible, which is a core industry goal. 

At SCIEX, we want to be able to support the full range of next generation modalities. Our portfolio is developed with a close ear to the voice of the customer. This led us to a workflow approach that we are engaging to make processes easier and more efficient, while delivering the best in data quality.

Jose: We have spent a lot of time and resources on developing our approach to critical workflows to streamline global processes, as well as optimising the capabilities of each solution. 

In the biopharma workflow, for instance, our approach to CE allows for the separation of full, empty, and partially filled AAV for the cell and gene therapies. And as we see tighter EPA regulations, we are always seeking to optimise our solutions—for instance, detection of PFAS with the SCIEX 7500 system can go down to 4pp. 

What are the major plans in store for 2023?

Jose: Our technologies are designed to help scientists and manufacturers bring new therapies and treatments such as mRNA, vaccines, and oligonucleotides to market efficiently. We will continue to innovate and deliver value-driven, scalable solutions like our biopharma workflow solutions that can be applied throughout the development pipeline. 

Development of biomarkers and biotherapeutics is dependent on analytical science. How is SCIEX exploring this space in terms of new designing products? 

Jose: We work closely with customers on new product designs to understand their unmet needs. A good example of this is the recent launch of Zeno SWATH DIA. This new DIA workflow was realised through our customer collaborations, and we will continue to evolve ZenoTOF 7600 workflows to get customers to the answer faster.

Dr Manbeena Chawla

(manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com)