Industry Trends

October 2020

See what has been happening in Asia’s pharma and personal care industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

Why is keratin so vital for skin and hair, Tapping AI to find drugs for COVID-19 treatment, Colour-changing capsules, and more. Find out what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

Keratin: What is it and why is it so vital for your skin and hair?

Cosmetics Business A lot of what consumers do to their hair, including chemical treatments and the use of thermal appliances, results in damage to keratin, the protective protein and structural component found in hair and elsewhere. With this in mind, Mythili Nori, Senior Scientist Product Performance at BASF Corporation, explains the exact function of keratin and how to act against keratin damage.

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Singapore researchers to find drugs for COVID-19 treatment by tapping AI

Manila Bulletin A group of researchers in Singapore will tap their artificial intelligence (AI) platform to evaluate 12 locally available drugs to derive a combination of drugs that can be used to treat COVID-19, local media reported on Friday. A Singaporean health care worker dressed in personal protective equipment collects a nasal swab sample from a migrant worker for testing for the coronavirus.

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Pigment play: Kolmar files patent for colour-changing formula that can ensure long-term ingredient stability

CosmeticsDesign-Asia

South Korean cosmetics manufacturer Kolmar Korea has filed a patent for a colour-changing capsule that can also assure the stability of ingredients.

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The future of the skin microbiome? ‘It’s mind blowing’ – think oral care, intimate care and makeup

CosmeticsDesign-Asia

There will be a proliferation of newly carved out product categories targeting the skin microbiome in coming months, as consumer interest spikes and development capabilities advance, say experts.

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Metformin May Slow Cognitive Decline in Seniors With T2DM

Drugs.com

For older adults with type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline is slower and dementia risk reduced for those receiving metformin, according to a study published online in Diabetes Care.

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Sun Pharma the latest to recall metformin after carcinogen tests come up positive

FiercePharma News

Sun Pharma the latest to recall metformin after carcinogen tests come up positive. Once cleared by the FDA of a probable carcinogen, generic diabetes med metformin has now been the target of a growing number of recalls. This week, a seventh drugmaker has joined the metformin recall parade after finding high levels of a potential cancer-causing contaminant.

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Researchers Warn Some Covid-19 Vaccines Could Increase Risk Of HIV Infection

Forbes Some of the Covid-19 vaccines currently in development could increase the risk of acquiring HIV, warned a group of researchers in the The Lancet medical journal Monday, potentially leading to an increase in infections as vaccines are rolled out to vulnerable populations around the world.

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Cool sunscreen: Everyday Humans seeks to capture APAC market with ‘millennial-friendly’ sun care

CosmeticsDesign-Asia

US-based sun care brand Everyday Humans has recently launched in Asia Pacific where its hopes to capture millennial beauty consumers with its Instagram-friendly sun care products.

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Sputnik V nears expert panel OK

Daily Tribune The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) on Saturday said Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine may have a “big chance” of getting approval in its initial assessment for conducting a clinical trial in the country. Only a few more documents are needed from the manufacturer to back its early trial results, the DoST said.

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Sinovac COVID vaccine cleared for Phase 3 trial

Manila Bulletin A COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech has passed the review of the Philippines’ vaccine experts panel for clinical trials in the country, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bared Thursday. FDA Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo said that the vaccine experts panel, chaired by the Department of Science and Technology, has cleared Sinovac for Phase 3 clinical trials.

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Luxury platform: Shopee aiming to be ‘top premium beauty destination’ with launch of dedicated prestige ecosystem

CosmeticsDesign-Asia

E-commerce platform Shopee is eyeing untapped opportunities in South East Asia’s luxury beauty market as the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic pushes more premium brands to carve out an online business.

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Food-based beauty: Singapore nutrition firm Asmara moves into ‘edible’ cosmetics

Global Cosmetics News Singapore functional beverage and dietary supplement company Asmara is moving into food-based cosmetics, with four new mask and scrub products launching next year. The Singapore-based company started off producing functional beverages and powdered supplements, but also saw a big market for food-based cosmetics.

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L’Oréal Paris Professional cuts ribbon on first flagship Shanghai salon

Global Cosmetics News L’Oréal Paris Professional celebrated the launch of its first flagship hair salon in China last week, according to a report published by Shine. The French beauty brand chose Shanghai to make its debut. The salon will offer a full range of hair colors, textures and styles and offers an augmented reality facility to allow customers to try before they buy as well as a SteamPod styler.

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Thailand to make, supply AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine

AsiaOne Thailand has agreed to manufacture and supply AstraZeneca Plc’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine in the southeast Asian country and other nations in the region, the British and Thai governments said on Monday. The announcement by the British embassy in Bangkok did not specify how many doses of the vaccine candidate, AZD1222, would be distributed in Thailand. It also did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

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Tapping Indonesia’s online potential: D2C ‘best strategy’ but firms must clear tricky hurdles

CosmeticsDesign-Asia

The Indonesian beauty market one of South East Asia’s biggest opportunities, but despite the low barriers to entry via cross-border e-commerce, cosmetic companies must take note of the market’s set of unique challenges.

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