• The Amgen Golden Ticket Award, now in its third year, showcases Amgen's and NSG BioLabs' efforts to support high-growth startups in a nurturing ecosystem, with a doubling of applicants compared to last year
• Amgen and NSG BioLabs extended the Golden Ticket partnership for another three years demonstrating continued commitment to advancing Singapore's biotech sector
• This year's winner, PairX Bio, will receive valuable access to mentorship from Amgen's thought leaders and a year-long residency at NSG BioLabs, a space meticulously designed for scientists
• NSG BioLabs has also partnered with CapitaLand to establish its fourth site, bringing its total size to 70,000 square feet, set to be Southeast Asia's largest co-working laboratory space

Leading global biotechnology company Amgen, and NSG BioLabs, Singapore's largest provider of biotech co-working biosafety level 2 laboratories, celebrate the successful conclusion of their third annual Amgen Golden Ticket competition today. This year marked a significant milestone with a doubling of applicants compared to last year, reflecting burgeoning interest in the industry and the vibrancy of Singapore's biotech ecosystem. Collaborative initiatives, such as the Amgen Golden Ticket, exemplify the commitment of industry leaders like Amgen and NSG BioLabs to advancing Singapore's biotech landscape and supporting innovative and high-growth startups. Building on the success of the awards programme, Amgen and NSG BioLabs are pleased to announce the extension of the Amgen Golden Ticket Programme for another three years.

This year, PairX Bio, a pre-clinical stage biotech company that pairs novel biology-based cancer targets with optimal therapeutic modalities to revolutionise cancer-selective biologics, was awarded the Amgen Golden Ticket. This entitles them to invaluable mentorship opportunities within Amgen's expansive network of scientific and business leaders. PairX Bio will also benefit from a year-long residency at NSG BioLabs' fully-equipped lab space designed with scientists in mind.

"We are thrilled to witness the growing impact of the Amgen Golden Ticket Programme over the past three years in Singapore. Like other successful Golden Ticket initiatives sponsored by Amgen around the world, this programme has been pivotal in fostering innovation and supporting promising companies such as PairX Bio. Their breakthrough research in oncology holds the potential to drive impactful advancements in patient care in the future. We take pride in contributing to the biotech sector in Singapore and remain committed to nurturing the next generation of biotech leaders with our extended commitment through 2027," said Dr. Alan Russell, Vice President, Biologics Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen. 

"We are deeply honoured to receive Amgen's prestigious Golden Ticket Award. This recognition validates the groundbreaking work of our team to develop next-generation cancer-selective biologics. We are grateful for Amgen's support and proud to be part of the vibrant life sciences ecosystem in Singapore, where collaboration and innovation are driving significant advancements in healthcare. We look forward to leveraging this opportunity to further our mission of transforming cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes," said David M. Epstein, Co-founder, CEO and President, PairX Bio.

The accolade follows in the footsteps of past recipients like Albatroz Therapeutics, a pre-clinical stage biotech company that develops therapeutic antibodies to treat solid tumors, and VerImmune, an immuno-oncology company focused on redirecting pre-existing immune memory from past infections or childhood vaccines to target cancer. Both winners benefited from the mentorship and access to industry that helped them accelerate their research and development efforts. Albatroz raised their seed funding round of US$3 million in early 2023ⁱ while VerImmune raised US$3.1 million in 2023ⁱⁱ following an initial US$2.5 million raise in 2022, and achieved milestones such as a successful FDA pre-IND meetingⁱⁱⁱ.

"NSG BioLabs empowers biotech startups by providing top-tier BSL-2 laboratory spaces, offering scientists a conducive environment to conduct their research, and bring their ideas to fruition. By fostering connections between leading pharmaceutical companies and pioneering startups, we cultivate collaboration that drives healthcare advancements. We deeply appreciate our strong partnership with the Amgen team and look forward to future collaborations with other industry leaders. Together, we are dedicated to advancing Singapore's biotech sector, fostering an environment where ideas thrive and transformative innovations flourish," said Daphne Teo, CEO and Founder, NSG BioLabs.

NSG BioLabs Partners with CapitaLand on its Fourth Facility at Geneo in Singapore Science Park to Create Southeast Asia's Largest Co-working Laboratory 

Hot on the heels of the successful conclusion of its third annual Amgen Golden Ticket competition, NSG BioLabs is joining forces with CapitaLand to launch a new innovation hub at the Geneo life sciences and innovation cluster in Singapore Science Park. Combining CapitaLand's real estate expertise with NSG BioLabs' deep experience and networks in the biotech ecosystem, this collaboration will create Southeast Asia's largest co-working laboratory space at approximately 35,000 square feet.

The state-of-the-art hub will feature shared wet labs, flexible workspaces, and a well-equipped meeting and conference venue, catering to the R&D and collaboration needs of life science and deep tech companies. This dynamic hub aims to empower enterprises of all sizes to foster collaborative innovation, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and scaled ventures. This expansion will also bring NSG BioLab's total size to more than 70,000 square feet, making it the largest co-working biotech lab in Southeast Asia.

"CapitaLand's partnership with NSG BioLabs marks an exciting new development for Geneo at Singapore Science Park as we introduce the biotech co-working lab space to support the growth and development of the life sciences and deep tech companies in Singapore. From developing pioneering products to fostering industry engagements, Geneo is set to become a key driver of innovation and collaboration in Singapore's thriving life sciences and deep tech sectors," said Mr. Chew Peet Mun, Managing Director, Investment and Development, CapitaLand Development Singapore.

With rising healthcare burdens and evolving pandemics, the need for stronger collaboration within the ecosystem has become increasingly critical to discover solutions that can make an impact on society. NSG BioLabs is excited to continue partnering with industry leaders like Amgen and CapitaLand in joint missions to support the growing biotech ecosystem.

The upcoming co-working laboratory innovation hub is one of the key features of Geneo, which comprises three properties with five state-of-the-art buildings that will offer about 1.94 million sq ft of gross floor area with work-live-play elements when fully completed in 2025. Geneo is jointly developed by CapitaLand Development and CapitaLand Ascendas REIT.