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Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana established the Chulabhorn Research Institute in 1990 as a tribute on the auspicious occasion of the 60th Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great with the ultimate goal of applying science and technology to improve the quality of life of the people and to support initiatives under the Royal Projects of His Majesty King Rama IX. Subsequently, in 2005, Her Royal Highness founded the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, a higher education institution offering graduate programs, conducting research, applying research outcomes for the benefit of society, and providing academic services. Later, in 2016, Her Royal Highness established the Chulabhorn Royal Academy in dedication to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great following his royal determination to improve people’s health and quality of life through the creation of knowledge in research and innovation, science, technology, medicine, and public health, as well as the education and training of healthcare professionals.

Her Royal Highness has a strong determination to advance medical science and public health in Thailand with the awareness of the hardship faced by cancer patients who cannot access high-efficacy pharmaceuticals. Guided by her compassion and farsighted vision, Her Royal Highness took the initiative to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant under the Chulabhorn Royal Academy. The facility is the first cancer drug production plant in Thailand to be certified with international standards (GMDP PIC/s), with the purpose of strengthening research and development capacity in oncology pharmaceuticals through a fully integrated process from upstream to downstream. The initiative transforms research into industrial-scale production to ensure a sufficient domestic supply of cancer medicines, enhance pharmaceutical security, lessen reliance on imported medicines, promote knowledge creation and cultivate skilled professionals in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing in Thailand, ensuring fair, widespread, and sustainable access to high-quality cancer treatments across Thailand.

Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana has carefully set her policy on cancer drug research and production, prioritizing the development of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, a class of targeted therapies for their high efficacy, broad therapeutic application, excellent treatment outcomes, and minimal side effects. Throughout the entire production process, Her Royal Highness has exemplified unwavering commitment and perseverance, personally monitoring progress. She has provided policy direction in pharmaceutical development based on her expertise in applied science, emphasizing a Quality by Design approach at every stage of product development. Her Royal Highness has also directly participated in the qualification and validation of equipment, machinery, and processes, as well as in pharmaceutical analyses at the Quality Control Laboratory at the Royal Initiative Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant, to ensure that all the manufactured products meet international quality standards.

As a result of Her Royal Highness’s tireless devotion and determination in the field of pharmaceutical science over the years, a significant contribution to public health has been achieved. Thailand’s first domestically produced targeted anticancer drug has been developed under the name “IMCRANIB 100,” containing 100 milligrams of Imatinib as its active substance. The formulation has been officially registered with the Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Public Health, and has been ready for clinical use from 20th May 2025. The accomplishment reduces the high costs of importing medicines and expands access to treatment for Thai patients and improves their quality of life.

In addition to the production of small-molecule oral targeted anticancer drugs, Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana has been committed to laying the foundation for a comprehensive “biopharmaceutical development ecosystem.” The system spans from research, development, and manufacturing laboratories; experimental animal centers for initial efficacy and safety testing; the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute for training personnel in pharmaceutical production; and the Chulabhorn Hospital for clinical studies, as well as collaborations with international research institutions, which have led to the establishment of the Center for Biologics Research and Development at the Chulabhorn Research Institute. The center focuses on the integration of research, development, and production of biopharmaceuticals from generating prototype cell lines to developing in-house production processes without relying on technology transfer or purchase from abroad and has succeeded in developing a biosimilar of “trastuzumab,” used in the treatment of various cancers, particularly breast cancer. The drug was officially registered with the Food and Drug Administration under the royally bestowed name “HERDARA” on 20th May 2025. It is the first monoclonal antibody biopharmaceutical in Thailand that has been researched and developed by Thai researchers for Thai people. This great achievement marks a significant step forward in elevating the standards of Thailand’s public health system to ensure equitable, stable, and sustainable access to cancer treatments to all Thai people.

Apart from the development of the two anticancer drugs, Her Royal Highness has also conducted research and development on herbal medicines derived from Thai medicinal plants, resulting in products that have been registered with the Food and Drug Administration and released for use, including andrographolide extract capsules and Daragan cream from longan seed extract for relieving pain and inflammation caused by knee osteoarthritis. In addition, a drug from Jiaogulan extract for reducing blood sugar levels in patients with early-stage diabetes is in the process of preparing a monograph for registration as a low-risk drug. Beyond these achievements, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Her Royal Highness, in her capacity as a chemist, collaborated with researchers of the Institute to successfully synthesize molnupiravir within six months, at a reduced cost, and graciously presented it to the Government and the Ministry of Public Health for further action on 23rd December 2021.

In grateful recognition for the benevolence of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana, whose dedication has led to the successful production of anticancer drugs for the first time in Thailand, bringing immense benefit to patients and to the nation and in acknowledgement of her distinguished expertise as demonstrated above, the Mahidol University Council, at its 619th Meeting on Wednesday, 20th August 2025, resolved unanimously to humbly submit the conferral of the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Pharmacy upon Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana, in tribute to her exemplary achievements and as the auspicious honor to Mahidol University.

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