Taiwan’s Biotech Leaders Double Down on AI and US Manufacturing: Inside Bora and EirGenix’s Strategic Roadmaps

As the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM 2026) concluded in San Francisco, the focus of the global biotech community shifted from the excitement of the event to the substance of the strategic roadmaps revealed. For Taiwan’s leading biopharma companies, this year marked a definitive transition from establishing a presence to demonstrating advanced capabilities. Two key players, Bora Pharmaceuticals (Bora) and EirGenix, showcased a qualitative shift in their business models. Moving beyond traditional contract manufacturing, both companies highlighted aggressive moves into AI-driven production, supply chain localization in the U.S., and next-generation manufacturing technologies.

Bora Pharmaceuticals: Evolution to the Global CDMO Contender

Delivering a presentation themed “Making Success More Certain” in the main venue, Bora’s Chairman and CEO Bobby Sheng outlined the company’s evolution into a global contender with a market cap exceeding $2 billion, achieving a 700% increase since its IPO in 2017. Notably, FY2025 revenue reached $634 million, with 95% generated from markets outside Taiwan, underscoring its successful internationalization.

Sheng highlighted that through precise M&A initiatives, Bora has steadily established a comprehensive manufacturing network across North America. The 2024 acquisition of Upsher-Smith granted the top Taiwanese pharma manufacturer substantial capacity for producing oral formulations, including oral solid doses (tablets and capsules), liquids, and powders, in the US. Later that year, the purchase of Emergent BioSolutions’ Maryland facility enabled Bora to independently produce sterile injectables. 

In the biologics sector, through strategic investment in Tanvex BioPharma and subsequent rebranding as Bora Biologics, the company has not only secured a commercial-scale monoclonal antibody production facility in San Diego but also forged a powerful alliance with Tanvex to build a world-class biologics CDMO powerhouse.

A “Dual Engine” Strategy Powered by US Expansion and AI Adoption

During his speech, Sheng also reiterated the company’s “Dual Engine” strategy, comprising its CDMO services and global drug sales, both of which are leveraging technology to drive growth. In 2025, Bora’s CDMO division reported a 53.8% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching more than $340 million thanks to the growing demand for US-based manufacturing and the above-mentioned capacity expansion in the States. Sheng also noted that over 70% of revenue is now contributed by its four North American sites, validating the company’s aggressive M&A strategy to capture “onshoring” opportunities.

Amid the AI era, Bora has established a committee focused on pharma manufacturing to develop proprietary AI solutions. Leveraging its vast global manufacturing data, Bora will create dedicated AI models to optimize production efficiency and predict quality deviations, empowering data-driven manufacturing upgrades for greater value.

Bora’s Exciting Outlook in Global Rx Sales

On the commercial front, the company is pivoting toward high-complexity, high-margin assets. A prime example is the vigabatrin franchise acquired via Pyros Pharmaceuticals in October 2024. This strategic move has positioned Bora as a leader in the treatment of infantile spasms (a rare type of seizure disorder that occurs in infants), with its ready-to-use oral solution of vigabatrin (Vigafyde), driving a 15% market share increase for the franchise in Q4 2025 alone.

Regarding generic drug sales, Sheng emphasized that 2026 marks a year of multiple new product launches, targeting a potential market worth $800 million. To date, five new products have secured market approval and will hit the market within the year, while others await FDA green lights, including a highly anticipated blockbuster drug.

Adding to its milestones, Bora began trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the ADR ticker BORAY in early January, becoming the first Taiwanese listed company to issue a Level 1 ADR—a move set to significantly enhance transparency and liquidity for global investors.

EirGenix: Embracing Continuous Manufacturing and Deepening Sandoz Ties

EirGenix, another major Taiwanese CDMO, also reported strong business development progress during JPM week. Its delegation engaged in intensive partnering discussions with clients from the US, Europe, Japan, and China, focusing on biosimilar out-licensing and CDMO contracts. A key highlight was the formal agreement to implement continuous manufacturing technology. EirGenix finalized a contract with a partner during the week and has already begun in-depth discussions on tech transfer and validation. This adoption is expected to be a game-changer, significantly boosting production efficiency and lowering costs by moving away from traditional batch processing, thereby sharpening EirGenix’s competitive edge in biologics manufacturing.

Aligning with the conference’s AI theme, EirGenix revealed it has been building a digitized knowledge management system over the past two years. The next step involves integrating AI analytics tools to predict and mitigate risks in process development and manufacturing. This digital transformation aims to reduce commercial production costs and shorten development timelines, helping CDMO clients get their candidates into clinical trials faster.

On the product front, EirGenix entered into two exclusive global commercialization agreements with Sandoz in 2024 and 2025 respectively. These deals cover the HER2-positive breast cancer biosimilars EG12014 and EG1206A, with the latter reaching a transaction value of up to $152 million. During JPM Week 2026, the two companies held intensive discussions on the details of the global licensing agreements for these biosimilars. Concurrently, EirGenix is reaching out to several heavyweights in the biosimilar space for potential partnerships, aiming to accelerate the global expansion of its biosimilar pipeline through diversified business models and collaborative frameworks.

A Qualitative Shift for Taiwan Biotech

Overall, JPM 2026 marked a turning point for Taiwan’s biotech sector. The narrative has shifted from simple capacity providers to technology innovators. From Bora’s “US onshoring” and “AI-driven manufacturing” to EirGenix’s “continuous manufacturing” and “global licensing,” Taiwanese companies are moving up the value chain. As these strategies materialize throughout 2026, Taiwan is poised to expand its influence and redefine its role in the global biopharma ecosystem.

Author

Richard Chau

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