(Taiwan) Chi Yang Biotech showcases new range of safety syringes at investment forum :: BiotechEast - Taiwan and China biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, ^¤å½s×, ^¤å×§ï ::

(by Ben Ferris, BiotechEast)

21 September, 2005
At an investment forum held yesterday at Taiwan's Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industries Program Office (BPIPO), medical device company Chi Yang Biotech Inc. announced their enthusiasm about their newly-developed range of safety syringe products.

A representative of Chi Yang Biotech shows off the company's dental anesthetic safety syringe at an investment seminar in Taipei on Wednesday, 21 September, 2005.

The medical products, which include a safety IV system, dental anesthetic safety syringe, standard safety syringe and others, appeal to the new drive towards developing safety compliant devices following the recent FDA move banning non-safety protected syringes for the US market.

The IV drip safety device implements a new technology that stops infusion once the medicine is fully dispersed, to prevent the common phenomenon of back-draw of blood into the IV device. The dental anesthetic safety syringe is composed of disposable plastic as opposed to the traditional reusable metal devices.

The increase in demand for safety syringes is attributed to recent regulatory moves by the US Food and Drug Association (FDA), mandating all syringes to incorporate 'anti-needle stick' technology for US markets.

Chi Yang Biotech's chairman Hsu Fu-shou believes the trend in the market will increasingly favor safety syringes, following the FDA's new mandate.

"It's a very hot area right now. We believe that the supply can't keep up with demand in the near future," said Hsu.

In addition, Hsu discussed being open to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) relationships which allow for foreign companies to market Chi Yang Biotech products under the foreign company's name.

"Whatever will fill the orders, we will be happy to develop a relationship," confirmed Hsu.

The WHO reports that as many as 21 million people a year contract hepatitis, HIV and other deadly viruses from unsafe injection practices. There are around 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries in the US each year and there have been 55 documented cases of occupational HIV transmission involving US health care workers since 1985, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association report from the year 2000.

Within Taiwan's medical device industry, several manufacturers have zeroed in on the safety syringe market, such as Taiject Medical Device and Careo, hoping to capture a small portion of the large global market for safety syringes.

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