The Pascual Pharma Corp. (PPC) Research and Development Laboratory became a pioneer of the UP Los Baños Science and Technology Park with its inauguration on January 27, 2017, according to UP and PPC officials.
The laboratory aims at nurturing industry-academe-government partnership for solutions to metabolic syndrome, cancer, and tropical diseases. The laboratory offers an “open innovation and incubation platform and funding models” for projects addressing these prevalent health issues.
UP President Alfredo Pascual and Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion, both chemists, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the facility, with PPC officers: Co-Chair Jay Lardizabal, Director Gani Padolina, President Virgilio Gomez, Senior Vice President Boyet Arellano, and Vice President Boyet Subida.
UP Visayas, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University, partner schools doing collaborative research at the facility, sent representatives to the inauguration. UP Director Glen Baticados of the Los Baños Center for Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship and UP Los Baños consultant, David Hall of the Research Triangle Institute, also attended.
In his welcome remarks, PPC Co-Chair Jay Lardizabal recalled the history of the company, which now focuses on research and development that is open to the broader academic community. Gomez said that more than providing a business model, the R&D laboratory , first of all, aims to help meet the company’s objective to be of genuine service to the community.
Concepcion praised PPC for its effort to make quality health care affordable.
Pascual said UP and PPC share a passion for generating knowledge to solve problems of humanity. He said the establishment of the laboratory would provide lessons for future partnerships in the University, particularly in terms of more industry-friendly policies.
Baticados said the event signaled UP Los Baños “becoming relevant in application products and services innovation.” (Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc, UP MPRO)
For more photos of the event, please click through the album here.
