Taiwan Instrument Research Institute (TIRI) of Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), under the guidance of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), is implementing the ministry’s “Link Industry-Academia Collaboration Project”, which bridges National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and Taiwan Advance Bio-Pharmaceutical Inc. (TABP) to develop Taiwan’s first rapid test kit to identify periodontal pathogens. TABP signed an NT$8.8 million technology transfer agreement with NCKU today (Dec. 4th) to seize this golden opportunity in the global precision medicine business.
According to statistics in 2019, 99.1% of citizens over 40 in Taiwan suffer from periodontal disease, the highest rate in Asia, spending more than NT$1.1 billion on treatments every year. At present, periodontal disease diagnosis mainly relies on full mouth intraoral X-ray checks, probing of periodontal pockets(1) and bacteria cultivations. However, the first two methods cannot be used to find which bacteria cause periodontal disease. Although bacteria cultivation can obtain detailed information, it requires time and money and is not widely available at small dental clinics.
Working with NCKU Hospital dentists, the research team headed by Associate Professor Ping-Ching Wu from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NCKU successfully developed a set of periodontal disease test kits, including aptamers (aptus(2)) that can identify periodontal pathogens quickly with high accuracy and highly sensitive amplification reagents. This special testing device for periodontal disease diagnosis has acquired a patent both in Taiwan and the United States.
Chun-Chan Ting, resident physician at the Department of Dentistry at NCKU Hospital, pointed out that unlike traditional test methods for periodontal disease, the rapid test kit does not cause pain and discomfort during the testing process, and can complete testing in 6 minutes at any clinic.
The rapid test kit has been used in more than 600 human trials in NCKU Hospital over the past three months. Due to the trial’s positive results, TABP decided to sign an NT$8.8 million technology transfer agreement with NCKU, hoping to apply this test kit to clinical diagnosis in the short term in order to benefit more periodontal patients, and to seize this moment to gain a foothold in the global precision medicine market.
TIRI Bridges Academic Innovative Technologies with Industries to Develop a Precision Medicine Ecosystem
Today, NARLabs held the “First Taiwan-made Rapid Test Kit for Periodontal Disease Diagnosis Results Sharing and Academia-industry Technology Transfer Agreement Signing” press conference to officially announce this breakthrough. Dr. Dar-Bin Shieh, Deputy Minister of MOST, said in a video speech that biomedicine and information communications have always been industries that Taiwan is most competitive in, with even more potential existing in the precision health industry in particular. MOST has always strongly supported the innovation and promotion of academic research and development technology. In this case, through TIRI’s “Medical Device Accelerator" service, NCKU’s innovative technology successfully develops advanced products that can be quickly commercialized. MOST also expects more universities, institutes, and industries will build an “iron triangle” in the near future, along with the Science Park’s energy input, to meet international standards and work together to develop an ecosystem of precision medicine.
Dr. Kuang-Chong Wu, President of NARLabs, pointed out that the "Medical Device Accelerator" service pROVided by TIRI has accomplished many successful cases. In addition to adding value to university research teams, TIRI also helps work with the medical device industry and hospitals to solve industrial technology, certification, regulations, and clinical barriers simultaneously to reduce R&D costs and risks, so that industry-academia collaboration can expedite their progress and increase success rates.
Woei-Jer Chuang, Assistant Vice President and Director of the Innovation Headquarters at NCKU, expressed that NCKU has always exceled in industry-academia innovation. This time, with the assistance of TIRI, NCKU collaborated with TABP in applying its ability to produce in vitro diagnostics medical devices and commercialize research results. Being able to promote NCKU’s innovative technology to pROVide a boost in the industry, while also benefitting periodontal patients, has pROVen to be a unique opportunity.
TABP Chairman, Wen-Lung Su, pointed out that TABP – which was established in 2000 and had received technology transfers and assets from the Development Center for Biotechnology – was Taiwan’s first biotechnology company formed from Ministry of Economic Affairs’ joint venture. TABP possesses 36 years of practical experience developing leading technologies in food safety testing and toxicity detection. This technology transfer agreement marks TABP’s expansion into the Southern Science Park, while also demonstrating TABP’s determination to compete in the global precision medicine market.
Note:
- Periodontal pocket: When the mouth is healthy, gums should fit comfortably around each tooth, with the distance between the gun tissue and its attachment to the booth being only 1-3mm in depth. However, gum disease can lead to deeper space around the teeth over 3mm in depth called periodontal pockets.
- Aptus may be a oligonucleotide (a short nucleic acid polymers with less than 20 nucleotides) or a peptide (consisting of one short variable molecules) that can selectively bind to a specific target molecule. It is considered to be a new star among small molecule drugs, which can serve as a replacement for antibodies.
