Kuala Lumpur, 12 November 2024 – Duopharma Biotech Berhad (“Duopharma Biotech” or
“the Company”) partnered with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)’s Faculty of Pharmacy
and IDEA Centre – the university’s strategic office for Research and Innovation, to organise a
one-day Halal Pharmaceutical Symposium 2024 (HPS 2024) in Putrajaya recently, themed
“Bridging Halal to Health: Fostering Inclusivity, Innovation and Healthcare Excellence”. The
event saw the attendance of about 300 delegates from Malaysia.
Launched by Khairul Azwan Harun, Chairman of Halal Development Corporation (HDC), the
symposium saw the participation of Prof Dato’ Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid, Pro Vice-Chancellor
(Kuala Lumpur Campus), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar, Group
Managing Director, Duopharma Biotech Berhad and various other representatives from the
pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, including Government and non-government bodies;
academic and research institutions; healthcare practitioners as well as industry players.
Aiming to provide a platform for exposure, knowledge sharing and discussion among
delegates, thus contributing to enhancing the sustainability of the Halal pharmaceutical
industry in Malaysia and globally, the symposium featured a panel discussion, paper
presentations, viewing of research posters and a research colloquium. The panel discussion
saw sharing of insights from speakers representing UKM, Duopharma Biotech, the
Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), HDC, the Ministry of Defence and the
Malaysian Pharmacist Society.
Continuing collaboration
HPS 2024 is a continuation of several initiatives between UKM and Duopharma Biotech since
2019 to bolster the Halal pharmaceutical economy, with Duopharma Biotech also funding
research and development efforts by UKM, based at the Halal Pharmaceutical Business
Initiative Centre (HPBI) under the coordination of the UKM Graduate School of Business
(UKM-GSB). HPBI is a shared facility for UKM faculty members from different disciplines,
including the Faculties of Science and Technology, Pharmacy and Islamic Studies and the
Graduate School of Business. Meanwhile, the university’s IDEA Centre has established a
Halal Economy research group involving the Faculties of Economics, Management,
Pharmacy, Islamic Studies, Science & Technology, and UNIPEQ Sdn Bhd – the university’s
commercialisation arm. The group aims to advance knowledge through research, training,
professional certification, conferences and collaborations with global stakeholders.
Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar, Group Managing Director, Duopharma Biotech Berhad
commented, “We are honoured to co-organise HPS 2024 with UKM. As our longstanding R&D
partner in Halal pharmaceutical science and commercial applications, we have made
significant progress together and look forward to reaching many more milestones. Through
this symposium, Duopharma Biotech is maintaining our momentum in spearheading strategic
collaborations to capture fast-growing potential in the Halal pharmaceutical industry and
elevate the position of Halal pharmaceuticals within the global pharmaceutical landscape.”
“As the Halal Pharmaceutical leader in Malaysia with 25 years of excellence in producing Halal
certified products for consumers, our efforts are driven by our “Halal Built-in” policy and ESG
commitment which includes a focus on Access to Medicine. Our aim is to enhance inclusivity
in healthcare, enabling all patients to have choices in the therapies and medications they need
for their well-being – safe for use and effective, high in quality, hygienic and Halal-certified,”
he added.
Prof Dato’ Gs. Ts. Dr Mohd Ekhwan Hj Toriman, Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, emphasised the importance of academic research in advancing the Halal
pharmaceutical sector. “UKM is one of Malaysia’s leading public universities, known for its
strong emphasis on research, including in fields like science, technology and medicine. At
UKM, we believe that Halal pharmaceuticals represent a critical opportunity to merge scientific
and business innovation with religious compliance. This collaboration between academia and
industry can lead to new research initiatives, product development, training modules and
advancements in Halal certification, ensuring global access to Halal-compliant pharmaceutical
products.”
Malaysia’s Halal industry is projected to expand to USD113.2 billion by 2030, with a GDP
contribution of 8.1% by 2025 through the Halal Industry Master Plan 20301
, spurred by the
Government’s aim to elevate Malaysia’s position as a key player in the global Halal market.
Pharmaceuticals are a key growth sector, increasing 156.7% from 2021 to 2022 – the highest
growth recorded. Globally, the Halal industry offers enormous potential, projected to rise to
USD5 trillion in value by 2030 from the current USD3.5 trillion, alongside a growth in consumer
numbers from 1.9 billion to 2.3 billion by 2030
Established leadership
Duopharma Biotech was the first pharmaceutical Company to receive Halal certification from
JAKIM for its Consumer Healthcare Products in 1999, in accordance with MS 1500:2009
standards, pioneering a range of 100% Halal health supplements, including CHAMPS,
Flavettes, Proviton and Naturalle products. The Company also complies with the Malaysian
Standard on Halal Pharmaceuticals MS 2424:2019, which provides clear guidance on the
requirements for producing Halal pharmaceuticals.
Duopharma Biotech is also the first pharmaceutical company to receive Halal certification from
JAKIM for an oncology product, produced at its cutting-edge Highly Potent Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HAPI) facility located in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, the first cancer
medicine manufacturing facility in Malaysia, with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
certification from the Malaysian National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency. The Company’s
first biosimilar registered in Malaysia, Erysaa (Erythropoietin) is also the first in its category to
be certified Halal by the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) in 2020. Likewise, Duopharma
Biotech’s cosmeceutical range IRORO Nutreatment haircare products developed using stem
cell technology, is Halal-certified by KMF. Duopharma Biotech is a member of the HDC’s
Sectoral Working Group.
For more information on the Halal Pharmaceuticals Symposium 2024, please visit
https://halal4pharma.com/hps2024/
