The new facility at Changi North Way will house Zuellig's local distribution centre and a new division - the Specialty Solutions Group (SSG), which is making Singapore its regional headquarters.

Mr Giuseppe Leo, chief executive of the SSG, said that the new division, which began operations last Septermber, would focus on the growing clinical trial business in Asia and also in the area of anti-counterfeit solutions.

'A consumer purchasing a product can send a text containing the serial number and receive immediate authentification of the product,' Mr Leo said.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr S Iswaran, officiated at the opening of the facility.

'Currently, 11 of the world's leading biopharmaceutical companies have invested in over 25 commercial-scale manufacturing facilities in Singapore. Over the next three years, seven plants are expected to come on stream,' Mr Iswaran said.

'In R & D (research and development), more than 50 companies are carrying out activities that include drug discovery, translational and clinical research, regional clinical trial coordination and medical technology innovation.

'Against this backdrop, specialised logistics players such as Zuellig Pharma now play an increasingly important role in supporting the growing biomedical sciences industry."

Zuellig Pharma serves over 120 multinational companies in 15 countries, and enjoys over 60 per cent of the market share in Singapore.