On January 1, 2007, Vietnam will officially enter the World Trade Organization (WTO). Several new rules will apply to the country’s medical industry as a part of accession. The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) has stated that from that date, all drug... Read More
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH) recently announced plans that will include increased purchases for the country’s national health system. On August 10, 2006, at a national conference, the MOH announced it would upgrade the communal medical stations in villages and city wards.... Read More
In recent years, cancer has become a more salient issue in China. Currently, 1.5 million Chinese die of cancer annually, more than any other disease, and this number is growing fast. Chinese make up one quarter of all cancer sufferers in the... Read More
As a number of Singapore-based companies move into medical device production, government agencies are identifying the sector as a key growth area. Products which local companies have moved into recently include airway devices, infusion pumps, and gas detection equipment. These companies are... Read More
As part of a new pharmaceutical policy proposed by the Indian government, medical device manufacturers could face new price restrictions when selling to public-sector medical institutions. In the new policy, high-price, critical medical devices would come under a differential pricing system, to... Read More
Counterfeit drugs are a big problem in Asia. Somewhat lax enforcement of drug patents and the high cost of brand name drugs have generated huge demand for (and supply of) cheap imitation drugs. In some Asian countries, up to one-half of available... Read More
In April 2006, the Chinese government opened a new Administrative Service Center to handle license applications for new medical devices and drugs in China more efficiently. This center, which is part of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), will undertake administrative... Read More
Asia has a population of over 4 billion people, and represents about 60% of the world's population. Annual economic growth rates in the Asian countries have been as high as 8 or 10% over the past decade, in comparison with some developed... Read More
The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) recently approved the first multinational clinical trial for a medical device. The device, the Nobori drug-eluting stent, is manufactured by the Terumo Corporation, an international medical device company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The trial involves... Read More
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly making R&D investments in China to facilitate entry into the Chinese drug market. China is already a hot destination for outsourcing manufacturing and clinical research, which offers companies significant cost savings. However, large pharmaceutical companies have begun to... Read More