Neighbours are stronger together: helping save lives in the ASEAN region 

By  Pamela Tyers 11 August 2025 4 min read

Vaccines and medicines are the backbone of public health, but few countries are lucky enough to have the capability to produce them domestically.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia provided vital vaccine support for its Pacific and Southeast Asian neighbours. Now that the world has moved on, CSIRO is working alongside Thai partners to help boost the country’s biomedical manufacturing capabilities.

CSIRO recently hosted three Thai government agencies in the biomedical sector for training, diving into the challenges of scaling-up production, designing efficient manufacturing processes and accessing new technologies.

The delegation was made up of 11 research technicians, postdoctoral research fellows, senior scientists and institute directors.

CSIRO’s Dr Ben Cao, biologics product development lead, oversaw the visit and training.

“This is a co-designed project with our Thai partner agencies. We're using our expertise and facilities in drug development to help with equitable access to essential medicines in Thailand and a healthy biotech economy in the ASEAN region,” Ben said.

“The focus is on training, workforce development and technical upskilling through mutual knowledge exchange. It’s about working together to overcome technical challenges, scaling-up production and developing manufacturable processes.

“This is the first time our Thai partner agencies are visiting us at CSIRO for training, so it’s quite a milestone.”

HIV and cancer: two major health challenges

CSIRO’s collaboration with Thai government agencies will help support the local production of cancer biotherapeutics and HIV antiretrovirals, in particular.

In Thailand, HIV remains a significant public health concern. While the country has made substantial progress in stemming the spread of the disease, there are still gaps in health care access.

The UN’s global HIV target is 95-95-95. In other words, 95 per cent of people knowing their HIV status, 95 per cent of those people on treatment and 95 per cent achieving viral suppression. Thailand is at 90-81-79.

The country also had more than 180,000 new cases of cancers reported in 2022, with a projected 50 per cent rise by 2045.

Helping local production

Rapeepat ‘Robbie’ Tandavanitj was one of the visitors to CSIRO’s biomedical manufacturing facilities in Clayton, Melbourne, for the training. He works in biologics production with the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterprise manufacturing drugs and vaccines. 

Robbie hopes to take back an improved understanding of how to better develop anti-cancer drugs at a cost-effective price.

“While I’m here I’d like to gain technical insights into the workflow involved in developing a new drug. From the very beginning of the process such as designing production cell lines and developing bioprocesses, to the last steps like technical transfer into a production facility,” Robbie said.

“I can see people from different teams here working together and helping each other towards the same project goal. This is amazing.”

Access to new technologies

Aticha ‘Mew’ Thiraporn is a chemist from Thailand’s National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC). 

Mew’s current research involves the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients – the basic chemical substances responsible for a drug’s therapeutic effect – using flow chemistry.

Flow chemistry is a form of chemical manufacturing that is cleaner, smarter and more efficient. The benefits of using the flow process include lower energy costs, more efficient processes, reduced waste and a much safer environment.

“There are several things that have really impressed me so far here, especially related to research and chemistry. The speed and efficiency of analytical instruments like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry for example,” Mew said.

“Also, the wide range of advanced and interesting flow process instruments available, which is very inspiring!”

CSIRO’s facilities in biomedical manufacturing also include the National Vaccine and Therapeutics Laboratory, the $23 million facility that’s a major part of Australia’s translational research capacity and advanced manufacturing in biotechnology.

Taking home lab management practices

Pannida ‘First’ Kitkobchai is looking forward to taking home the hands-on lab experience and lab management practices she gained during the training.

Pannida researches processes and technologies to scale-up biopharmaceuticals at Thailand’s National Biopharmaceutical Facility. 

“I’ve found the knowledge and experience generously shared by the CSIRO team so valuable for my work. Their support and guidance have really helped deepen my understanding,” she said.

Healthier neighbours mean a healthier Australia

Increasing local manufacturing and creating a thriving sector across Thailand and the ASEAN region will not only help make access to life-saving medicines easier and more affordable.

When this work is complete, it will establish a framework to integrate manufacturing processes into its biotech and manufacturing industries, delivering:

• better access to affordable, high-quality medicines for the Thai population
• stronger health systems to handle future emergencies
• opportunities for growth in the Thai biotech industry.

This training is funded through the Australian Government’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, delivered by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The initiative supports resilient and equitable health systems to reduce disease risks and respond effectively to health emergencies.