Mahidol University has launched the Mahidol University Foundation Fund for Sustainability as part of efforts to enhance medical research and innovation capabilities.
Somsak Leeswadtrakul, president of Mahidol University Alumni Relations and member of the Mahidol University Foundation's board, said the fund aims to raise at least one billion baht, which will go towards a "MU-Bio Plant".
The plant, he said, will produce drugs using living cells, with a focus on advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) that would make cancer treatments more accessible and affordable.
The plant will be Thailand's first drug production facility that focuses on cell and gene therapy. "It will give patients access to modern treatments at a lower cost and reduce reliance on imported medicines, which will alleviate financial burdens on the country," he said, adding cancers are among the top causes of death from non-communicable diseases.
Vichita Ractham, MU's vice president for corporate communication and branding, said the university's mission is to support researchers and healthcare professionals in developing innovations for disease prevention and treatment, and expand access to medical care.
She said the MU-Bio Plant will bring the country a step closer towards the goal of becoming the region's health and well-being hub.
Assoc Prof Yodchanan Wongsawat, MU vice president for research, said the university plans to renovate its existing drug factory, in which it has invested over one billion baht over the past decade, and transform it into Thailand's first living drug factory.
The move will require another one billion baht, he said.
