USAID Mission Director Jay Knott visits MonoJo

The aim was to understand the current status and further support Research and Development in the biotechnology market in Jordan.

The visit was attended by Mr. Laith Qasem, Chief of Party at the program, Ms. Penlopa Shihab, CEO of Monojo, His Excellency member of the board of directors, Dr. Marwan Kamal, Dr. Rana Bustami GM of the Pharmaceutical Research Unit, along with team members from all sides.

The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) has focused its efforts on the promotion of science and technology as a key driver for economic development and sustainability. The global biotechnology market is currently worth about $85bn per annum and offers substantial investment opportunities for potential breakthroughs in research into healthcare biotechnology (so-called "red" biotechnology), particularly with respect to demographics and the aging population, biomedical genetics and the need for extensive research for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The visit commenced with a presentation by Ms. Penlopa, who provided the attendees with an outline of the challenges faced by the biotechnology industry and suggestions for ways to move the sector forward in Jordan. The second presentation by Dr. Rana Bustami from the Pharmaceutical Research Unit concentrated on the efforts of her organization to provide what is required to make Jordan a pioneer in full clinical service provision.

The visit concluded with a tour around the state-of-the-art premises of Monojo in Al-Jubaiha, after which, an informal discussion took place, concentrating mainly on the challenges faced by pioneering start-up companies in Jordan including intellectual property rights, investments, education; teamwork and analytical skills, gender integration, as well as optimizing future opportunities in the sector.

Monojo is a pioneering biotechnology company, established in 2005 as a private shareholding company and a spin-off from the National Center for Biotechnology, which is affiliated to the Higher Council of Science and Technology.

The company is pursuing a strategy of developing a fully internationally certified multi-functional technology platform for novel monoclonal antibodies for in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), focusing on cancer markers for immunohistochemistry and test kits, and targeting local and regional markets.

The company has recently developed a new strategy for expanding their research program to enter the $33bn a year field of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, in addition to providing much-needed technical training and consultation services for the educational and Marketing Sectors in Jordan and the Middle East.

Previous initiatives completed by the USAID program for Monojo include a Firm Level Management and Technical Assistance study, as well as a report on Product Positioning and Marketing Strategy.

The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) is a five-year broad economic development initiative implemented by Bearing Point, Inc. and a sizeable team of international and Jordanian partner firms. By supporting improvements both in the business environment and providing assistance to expand innovation and productivity in Jordanian businesses, it supports the main objective of building up the private sector as a powerful engine of economic growth.