Revolution in medicine: New ATMP research site opens in Bangkok!

Revolution in medicine: New ATMP research site opens in Bangkok!

Today we have news from the world of advanced therapies in Phuket! Dr. Veerapol Khemarangsan, CEO of Medeze Group Public Company Limited, updated on the progress of the ATMPs Sandbox investment project. With two key locations, Bang Rak Medical Center and Vachira Phuket Hospital, Medeze has ambitious plans to advance research in the healthcare system.

The official opening of Bang Rak Medical Center as the National ATMP Building is scheduled for the third week of November 2025. There, a particular focus is placed on research into osteoarthritis, and the ethics committee has already received applications. To ensure public safety, necessary improvements will take approximately one month, so research approval is expected by October 2025. Things are also getting interesting at Vachira Phuket Hospital, which is working on research into facial degeneration. The research here has been completed and is now awaiting approval before samples are sent to Bangkok. The cells then come back to Vachira Phuket for injections and further treatments.

Future-oriented research

An outlook on future research shows that, in addition to osteoarthritis, therapies for degenerative disc disease, colon cancer and anti-aging are also on the agenda. Medeze has invested in extensive infrastructure, including the construction of a drug manufacturing plant in the purple zone. This project could include several buildings, including hair follicle stem cell laboratories and a cell culture factory, which will be developed in partnership with government agencies. These promising plans are expected to be completed within a year and a half, with commercial operations starting in 2027 at the earliest.

Looking at the global Advanced Therapeutic Medicines (ATMPs) market, we find that the value was valued at around USD 27.04 billion in 2022 and is expected to increase to USD 90.98 billion by 2030. CAR-T therapy in particular has proven to be a growth driver - companies such as Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb are expanding their products worldwide and making North America the current largest sales market with a market share of 44.5% in the ATMPs sector. In addition, companies from the Asia-Pacific region, where rapid growth of 21.4% is forecast, are emerging players. Grandview Research highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an accelerating factor for the application of advanced therapies, particularly in virology research.

Economic prospects

As part of its economic prospects, Medeze plans to expand to include the Philippines and Mongolia and already has a presence in Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Performance is expected to rebound in the fourth quarter of 2025 as increased birth rates and increasing stem cell collection activities are on the horizon. Total revenue for the first six months of 2025 is approximately THB 432 million, and Medeze forecasts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% per year.

The planned investments hope to receive significant support through over ten certifications from the Board of Investment (BOI), whereby the company could be largely spared from tax obligations until 2027. This rapidly evolving sector is actively working on the future of healthcare - and Phuket could play a key role in this.

To learn more about the notable developments in the ATMP market, take a look Straits Research.