Heron Partners with National University Hospital and A*STAR to Establish Southeast Asia's First AB-BNCT Research Centre

[Hsinchu, Taiwan] — Heron Neutron Medical Corp. today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore and the A*STAR Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A*STAR BTI), to establish Southeast Asia’s first Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB-BNCT) research centre in Singapore.

While NUH formally inks the MOU, the initiative will be driven by the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) - based at NUH - to advance clinical research and innovative therapy development and position Singapore as a regional hub for AB-BNCT development.

AB-BNCT represents an advanced, highly selective radiotherapy technology. By combining boron-containing compounds with high tumour affinity and targeted neutron irradiation, it selectively destroys cancer cells at a cellular scale while minimising side effects on surrounding healthy tissues. As deployment of AB-BNCT accelerators expands globally, AB-BNCT has emerged as a promising new modality for overcoming treatment challenges posed by refractory and recurrent cancers.

This collaboration represents a major milestone in advancing AB-BNCT capabilities, as it will create new therapeutic opportunities for patients with head and neck cancers, brain tumours, skin cancers, and soft-tissue sarcomas.

Leveraging Singapore's Research Excellence and Clinical Leadership to Drive AB-BNCT Adoption Across Southeast Asia

NCIS aims to bring its extensive clinical and research expertise to the Centre, which will enable the development of robust evidence-based oncology capabilities.

Together with A*STAR BTI and Heron, the collaboration will provide the platform to create the world's first AB-BNCT regional ecosystem within Southeast Asia. The ecosystem will comprise clinical networks, medical training centres, translational research platforms, equipment service hubs, and nuclear-medicine drug manufacturing centres, creating a comprehensive infrastructure that supports all aspects of AB-BNCT development and delivery.

This further consolidates NCIS’ standing as a regional and international leader in oncology and positions Singapore as a strategic anchor from which AB-BNCT technology can be progressively expanded to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and other ASEAN countries.

From Taiwan to the World: Elevating Taiwan’s AB-BNCT Technology to the Global Stage

Heron emphasised that this collaboration with NUH and its cancer institute, NCIS as well as A*STAR, marks a critical milestone in the company’s global AB-BNCT expansion strategy, and symbolises the international recognition of Taiwan’s home-grown BNCT technology. Building upon existing clinical partnerships with Taipei Veterans General Hospital, China Medical University Hospital, and Nanjing BenQ Hospital, Heron will continue advancing equipment deployment, international clinical alliances, drug development cooperation, as well as AB-BNCT talent training and translational research platforms.

Heron added that the trust and support from domestic and international medical centres and partners remain its greatest motivation for global growth. Moving forward, Heron will continue using Taiwan as its innovation base while integrating global medical and scientific resources - ensuring Taiwan’s precision-medicine capabilities benefit not only local patients but also contribute to global advancements in cancer therapy.