Siam Bioscience
Thai biopharmaceutical manufacturer focused on developing and producing medicines in Thailand.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Siam Bioscience is a Thai biopharmaceutical manufacturer established through a project launched in 2009 by CPB Equity, an investment subsidiary associated with Thailand's Crown Property Bureau during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, together with Mahidol University. The venture was conceived as part of a broader effort to strengthen Thailand's domestic pharmaceutical capabilities, support biomedical research, and reduce reliance on imported medicines. Its scope has included research, development, manufacturing, and technology transfer for biological and pharmaceutical products. The project was backed by an investment of approximately 2 billion baht, according to the cited reference material. Sanoh Unakul, a director associated with Siam Cement Group, served as the first chair of the board and was described as a key figure in driving the initiative. Apiporn Pasawat, formerly managing director of SCG Chemicals, and Songpon Deechongkit have been identified as senior executives involved in the company's early management, although the available reference does not establish their current positions. Siam Bioscience received support from Thailand's Board of Investment. In 2012, the agency provided a reported subsidy of 427.50 million baht. The company subsequently developed manufacturing capacity for biopharmaceutical products, including products associated with anemia treatment and the reduction of chemotherapy side effects. A manufacturing plant constructed in cooperation with Cuba's Abinis, an entity linked to the Center of Molecular Immunology, began construction in 2011 and was completed in 2013. In 2017, the two parties were described as operating a 70/30 joint venture intended to produce and export licensed medicines. The Cuban partnership also received investment-related tax privileges, including a reported ten-year tax reduction. The company became especially prominent in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the Thai government selected Siam Bioscience for a role in producing AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine under a technology-transfer and manufacturing arrangement. In October 2020, the government allocated 600 million baht through the National Vaccine Institute to support capacity development for this work. The arrangement placed the company at the center of Thailand's domestic vaccine strategy and made its ownership, public support, manufacturing readiness, and transparency subjects of political debate. In January 2021, opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit criticized the government's reliance on AstraZeneca and its decision to use Siam Bioscience as a key manufacturing partner. Thai authorities subsequently charged him under the country's lèse-majesté law over comments made in a Facebook Live broadcast concerning the government's vaccine policy and the company's role. The relevant video was ordered removed, and additional charges connected with the same episode were reported in August 2021. These legal proceedings were directed at the political criticism rather than being a finding that Siam Bioscience had committed wrongdoing. Siam Bioscience remains a strategically important Thai life-sciences company whose public profile is closely connected to national pharmaceutical self-sufficiency, state-supported industrial development, international biotechnology partnerships, and vaccine manufacturing. Publicly available reference material provides limited detail on its current product portfolio, present executive team, revenues, and international commercial footprint.
History
Siam Bioscience originated in 2009 as a Thai biomedical and pharmaceutical-development project involving CPB Equity and Mahidol University. CPB Equity was associated with the Crown Property Bureau during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, while Mahidol University contributed medical and pharmaceutical knowledge. The project sought to create domestic capacity for researching and manufacturing medicines, with the strategic objective of reducing Thailand's dependence on imported pharmaceutical products. Reference material describes an investment of roughly 2 billion baht. Sanoh Unakul served as the first chair of the board and was identified as a central driver of the initiative. The early management team included Apiporn Pasawat, a former managing director of SCG Chemicals, and Songpon Deechongkit. The company's development was supported by Thailand's Board of Investment, which granted a reported 427.50 million baht subsidy in 2012. The company expanded its capabilities through an international partnership with Cuba. A plant associated with the collaboration began construction in 2011 and was completed in 2013. In 2017, Siam Bioscience and Cuba's Abinis, linked to the Center of Molecular Immunology, were described as operating a 70/30 joint venture to manufacture and export licensed medicines. The facility was associated with biopharmaceutical products used in anemia treatment and in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. The project also benefited from investment-related tax privileges, including a reported ten-year tax reduction for Abinis. Siam Bioscience's public importance increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Thai government designated it as a manufacturing partner for AstraZeneca's vaccine, making the company an important component of the country's plan to produce vaccines domestically. In October 2020, 600 million baht was allocated through the National Vaccine Institute to expand or support the relevant manufacturing capacity. The arrangement reflected the company's long-standing positioning around national pharmaceutical self-reliance, but it also raised questions about transparency, public procurement, state support, and the concentration of vaccine manufacturing in a company owned by the Thai monarch. The vaccine arrangement became entangled in Thailand's political conflict. In January 2021, opposition figure Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit criticized the Prayut Chan-o-cha government's handling of vaccine procurement and what he characterized as excessive dependence on AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience. Thai police and officials pursued lèse-majesté charges over his public comments, including a Facebook Live broadcast, and a court ordered the relevant video removed. Further charges connected with the same episode were reported in August 2021. The controversy concerned political criticism and legal restrictions on speech; the cited material does not establish a corporate criminal conviction or regulatory finding against Siam Bioscience. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of later corporate developments, current leadership, revenues, or the full commercial portfolio. Siam Bioscience is nevertheless documented as an active Thai biopharmaceutical company whose history combines university-linked research, Crown Property Bureau-related investment, public industrial incentives, Cuban technology and manufacturing cooperation, and a prominent role in Thailand's COVID-19 vaccine strategy.
- 2021
Vaccine-policy controversy and legal proceedings
[1]Political criticism of the government's vaccine strategy and Siam Bioscience's role leads to lèse-majesté proceedings against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
- 2020
AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing role announced
[1]Siam Bioscience is selected as a Thai manufacturing partner for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2020
Government capacity-support allocation
[1]The Thai government allocates 600 million baht through the National Vaccine Institute to support vaccine-production capacity at Siam Bioscience.
- 2017
Cuban joint venture formalized
[1]Siam Bioscience is described as participating in a 70/30 joint venture with Cuba's Abinis to produce and export licensed medicines.
- 2013
Biopharmaceutical plant completed
[1]The partnership facility is completed and is described as capable of producing biopharmaceutical products for anemia treatment and for reducing chemotherapy side effects.
- 2012
Board of Investment subsidy
[1]Thailand's Board of Investment provides a reported subsidy of 427.50 million baht to support Siam Bioscience.
- 2011
Cuban partnership plant enters construction
[1]Construction begins on a plant associated with the company's partnership with Cuba's Abinis and the Center of Molecular Immunology.
- 2009
Biopharmaceutical project begins
[1]CPB Equity and Mahidol University initiate a project intended to develop Thai pharmaceutical research and manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on imported medicines.
Products and positioning
A strategically significant Thai biopharmaceutical manufacturer positioned around domestic medicine production, biotechnology capability building, technology transfer, and reduced dependence on imported drugs.
Biopharmaceuticals
Biopharmaceutical medicines
Siam Bioscience's documented business scope includes research, development, and manufacturing of biological medicines. The available reference material presents the company primarily as a domestic biopharmaceutical capability builder rather than providing a complete branded product list. Its manufacturing activities have included licensed and technologically transferred products.
Therapeutic biologics · 2013
Anemia and chemotherapy-support biopharmaceuticals
The Cuban partnership facility is described as capable of producing biopharmaceutical products used in treating anemia and reducing side effects associated with chemotherapy. Specific generic names, brands, and current commercialization status are not identified in the cited material.
Vaccines · 2020
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing
Siam Bioscience was selected as a Thai manufacturing partner for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. The role was part of Thailand's effort to establish domestic vaccine-production capacity. The available sources do not provide a complete account of production volumes, later contract terms, or the current status of the arrangement.
Controversies
2021
Lèse-majesté proceedings linked to vaccine criticism
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was charged under Thailand's lèse-majesté law after criticizing the government's vaccine policy and its reliance on AstraZeneca production through Siam Bioscience. Additional charges were reported later in 2021. The proceedings concerned speech about government policy and the monarchy-linked company rather than a proven corporate offense.
2020
Public-funding and vaccine-capacity controversy
A 600 million baht government allocation to support Siam Bioscience's AstraZeneca vaccine-production capacity drew criticism from Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit over transparency and the provision of public funds to a for-profit company. The cited material reports political controversy but does not establish a finding of financial wrongdoing by the company.
Brand decisions
2020
Build domestic AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing capacityStrategyBackground
Thailand sought to reduce dependence on imported COVID-19 vaccines and establish local production capability.
Action taken
Siam Bioscience was selected to manufacture AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand, with government support for capacity development.
Aftermath
The arrangement made the company central to Thailand's vaccine strategy and generated political debate over transparency, public funding, and ownership.
Government capacity-support allocation. 600 million baht allocated (October 2020)
2017
Enter a 70/30 Cuban biopharmaceutical joint ventureM&ABackground
The company sought to produce and export licensed medicines through cooperation with Cuba's Abinis, linked to the Center of Molecular Immunology.
Action taken
Siam Bioscience entered a joint venture described as having a 70/30 ownership split with Abinis.
Aftermath
The partnership was associated with a completed manufacturing plant and products for anemia treatment and chemotherapy-related side-effect reduction.
Recent events
- 2020
Thai government selects Siam Bioscience for AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing[1]
Product launch
Siam Bioscience became the Thai manufacturing partner for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as part of the country's domestic vaccine-production strategy.
Sources2 sources
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