NOVARTIS TEAMS UP WITH MALAYSIA IN BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis has signed an agreement with Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Malaysian Biotech Corporation (BiotechCorp) to explore bioactive compounds from natural resources.

Novartis International AG's director Alexander F. Jetzer-Chung said the
memorandum of understanding (MoU) gave the company a chance to leverage on
Malaysia's biodiversity for the development of novel medical opportunities.

"This is bound to be a very effective partnership, especially with the
strong support of the Sarawak state government and BiotechCorp," he told
reporters after the signing ceremony between Novartis, SBC and BiotechCorp here
Tuesday.

The signing was witnessed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in
conjunction with the BioMalaysia 2009 event.

Under the agreement, Novartis will offer interships for SBC scientists,
including microbiologists and natural products chemists, for them to work at the
Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland.

Novartis will also provide support to develop mutually agreed bioprospecting
activity and capacity building to identify novel bioactive compounds sourced
from the forests of Sarawak, an East Malaysia state.

According to the company, these bioactive compounds could have medicinal
effects which may be developed into medicines in the future.

Headquartered in Basel, Novartis offers healthcare products to protect
health, cure diseases and improve well-being.

-- BERNAMA