Tam Anh Research Institute: Advancing Vietnam’s biomedical capacity in a new era of global scientific integration

As the first research institute established within Vietnam’s private hospital sector, Tam Anh Research Institute has taken a distinct and proactive path in the country’s biomedical landscape.

Through strategic thinking, structured organisational capacity, and broad-based collaboration with leading global universities and international healthcare corporations, the Institute has, over the past three years, steadily expanded in scale, capability, and academic reach.

Vietnamese medicine is no longer positioned solely as a recipient of imported knowledge. It is increasingly participating in joint development, co-creation, and technology transfer alongside some of the world’s leading scientific institutions.

Pioneering applied research

From its earliest stage, Tam Anh Research Institute defined a differentiated direction centred on three core principles: Discovery – Translation – Collaboration. Rather than remaining confined to theoretical inquiry, the Institute has prioritised practical, application-oriented research.

A network of 68 Good Clinical Practice (GCP)-compliant research sites was rapidly brought into operation.

Research infrastructure has been developed in alignment with international standards, including ISO, CAP, and GxP, supported by modern laboratory systems in diagnostics, pathology, tissue banking, and molecular biology capable of performing more than 1.000 advanced techniques. This integrated platform has contributed to standardising research quality and enabling globally interoperable laboratory services.

Tam Anh Research Institute has also invested in automated systems for comprehensive testing across multiple specialties, including cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology, metabolism, immunological disorders, and oncology.

This infrastructure and systematic investment have quickly translated into major research outputs.

To date, the Institute has implemented more than 35 domestic and international scientific studies, expanding opportunities for patients to access innovative therapeutic approaches at an early stage.

These projects focus on high-impact clinical application and address pressing disease burdens in the community, particularly in hepatitis, oncology, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, reproductive medicine, stem cells, and artificial intelligence applications in healthcare.

The Institute has established broad research partnerships in science, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical education with respected health organisations worldwide and leading international universities.

A notable example is the Institute’s role in the international VISTA-1 study of RBS2418, an oral immunotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer.

This was the first Phase 2A study conducted outside the United States to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RBS2418, laying important groundwork for subsequent research while creating new hope for patients with cancer, including the opportunity for Vietnamese patients to access a newly developed oncology therapy at an early stage.

Building on this progress, the Institute has further expanded its participation through VISTA-2.

This international study evaluates a novel combination strategy of oral immunotherapy RBS2418 with the advanced STRIDE immunotherapy regimen for patients with advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Conducted across the United States, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Vietnam, VISTA-2 offers patients in Vietnam access to a modern immunotherapy protocol at no cost within the research framework.

In another first for Vietnam, the Institute collaborated with scientists from the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection to initiate a hepatitis D study, providing free testing to nearly 2.500 patients in order to assess the prevalence of hepatitis B-D co-infection.

This project represents an important step toward earlier access to targeted treatment and, in the near term, better prevention of progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The Institute has also partnered with the National Geriatric Hospital on a large-scale, comprehensive study using state of the art blood biomarker testing to support the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Tam Anh Research Institute and Stanford University’s Institute of Microbiology and Epidemic Prevention at the announcement ceremony for their collaboration on hepatitis D testing training on November 15, 2023.

Building global academic partnerships

Despite its relatively recent establishment, Tam Anh Research Institute has developed a strong academic profile and built a collaborative network with hundreds of domestic and international partners.

These include leading institutions from the United States and Europe, notably Stanford University, the University of Oxford, and major global pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sanofi, GSK, and Abbott…

Tam Anh and Oxford jointly signed a collaboration agreement to implement training exchanges, research, and healthcare innovation, witnessed by General Secretary To Lam and Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, on October 28, 2025, in the United Kingdom.

In September 2025, Tam Anh Research Institute and Tam Anh General Hospital Group also signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian National Medical Research Centre for Oncology.

This partnership focuses on the transfer of core technologies and major innovations in vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and cancer diagnosis and treatment, creating longer-term opportunities for Vietnam to strengthen domestic capability in the production of next-generation medicines and vaccines.

Mr. Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the Russian President for Economic and Foreign Investment and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), representing the Russian side, exchanged cooperation documents with Mr. Ngo Chi Dung, Chairman and CEO of VNVC Vaccine Company, witnessed by Russian President Putin and General Secretary To Lam.

The Institute also regularly hosts leading international experts, including Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam.

His visit provided valuable inspiration to early-career researchers and created opportunities for scientific exchange on pressing global health challenges.

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, the first professor of Vietnamese descent to be knighted by the British Royal Family, exchanged and shared scientific insights with experts, scientists, doctors, researchers, and leaders of various departments and agencies at the Tam Anh Research Institute.

Another important milestone took place in late March 2026, when senior University of Oxford experts who had directly contributed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines visited Vietnam to participate in a high-level dialogue on comprehensive vaccine capability.

The event engaged hundreds of participants across 39 connected sites.

Moderated by Dr Phuong Le Tri, Executive Director of Tam Anh Research Institute, the discussion generated a range of practical recommendations.

Three world-leading experts from the University of Oxford (UK), alongside representatives from the Tam Anh Research Institute, participated in the panel discussion “Comprehensive Vaccine Capabilities: From Research to Production” sharing international experiences and promoting collaboration in high-tech vaccine development in Vietnam on March 30, 2026.

Professor Teresa Lambe emphasised the importance of sustained research investment in building vaccine libraries and recognised the Institute’s proactive efforts in preparing foundational capacity.

From a manufacturing perspective, Associate Professor Catherine Green noted that the Tam Anh ecosystem holds significant promise if developed from a robust Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) foundation and supported by a workforce capable of mastering core production processes.

From a global health systems perspective, Associate Professor Proochista Ariana observed that Vietnam possesses a rare advantage in its integrated healthcare ecosystem, where research, clinical implementation, and real-world application are closely linked.

She further noted that international collaborations such as the Tam Anh-Oxford Partnership should be developed in depth, moving beyond short-term exchange toward joint research development, shared ownership of knowledge, and the co-creation of global value.

Developing a biomedical ecosystem

Beyond research alone, Tam Anh Research Institute is also emerging as a centre for developing high-quality healthcare human resources.

In 2025 alone, the Institute provided training and certification for more than 1.000 healthcare personnel and organised over 100 annual scientific workshops, attracting more than 15,000 attendances.

Its expert faculty includes many senior figures who hold key roles in medical professional societies and serve as senior lecturers at major medical and pharmaceutical universities in Vietnam and abroad.

The Institute has continuously organised specialised conferences of international scope in strategic areas including oncology, robotic surgery, immunotherapy, and artificial intelligence applications.

Tam Anh Research Institute pioneers in hosting specialized international conferences on cutting-edge fields such as robotic surgery, radiotherapy, vaccines…

A high point of its training collaboration is the strategic relationship with the University of Oxford.

The cooperation focuses on strengthening research capacity, health management, and innovation in disease prevention and public health.

Experts from Oxford and Tam Anh jointly conducted the opening ceremony of the “Joint Intensive Training Week between Tam Anh Research Institute & the University of Oxford” and nearly 100 inaugural participants received the Oxford – Tam Anh standard certification for the Research Design and Data Management training course.

To operationalise this commitment, in late December 2025, Tam Anh Research Institute and the University of Oxford jointly organised an intensive training week on Research Design and Data Management, with the aim of supporting the standardisation of research capacity in Vietnam in accordance with international standards.

Architectural rendering of Tam Anh University – an international-standard educational institution, contributing to the development of a highly qualified, globally competent workforce not only for Tay Ninh province but for the entire nation.

Looking ahead to broader and more advanced medical education, Tam Anh University has been approved by the Prime Minister for establishment in Tay Ninh Province, on land formerly part of Long An Province before administrative reorganisation.

The university is planned on an initial site of nearly 80.000 square metres, with projected investment exceeding 2.500 billion VND.

It is intended to develop as a multidisciplinary institution with priority programmes in Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Laboratory Technology, Biotechnology, and supporting disciplines such as Information Technology and Business Administration.

With student enrolment expected to begin in early 2027, this initiative represents a strategic step in expanding the role of the private healthcare sector in developing high-quality human resources for Vietnam.

The training course for the specialized medical technical certificate in “Joint and Peri-tendinous Injection Techniques” organized by the Tam Anh Research Institute, involves not only hands-on practice but also the application of high technology. Trainees get to practice injections on porcine models and actual anatomical specimens at the Experimental Operating Room of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, as well as participate in clinical observation at Tam Anh General Hospital Ho Chi Minh City.

Alongside this, the approval of investment for the Tam Anh High Technology Centre in Saigon Hi-Tech Park under a special investment mechanism reflects a long-term strategic vision.

The integrated model that Tam Anh is pursuing – linking treatment, research, training, and technology – opens new development space, attracts high – value resources, and may contribute to positioning Ho Chi Minh City as a leading regional centre for science and technology.

Tam Anh Research Institute brings together scientists and doctors from Vietnam and around the world, fostering national and international collaboration to advance human health.

Over three years of sustained effort, Tam Anh Research Institute has helped create meaningful momentum in expanding treatment opportunities and improving quality of life for large numbers of patients.

Its development also reflects a broader transition in Vietnam – from an economy centred on processing and adaptation toward one increasingly shaped by knowledge, innovation, and technological capability.

With steady progress, the Institute is contributing to deeper Vietnamese participation in the global biomedical network and to the growing international recognition of Vietnamese scientific capability.