In Taiwan, the term “pharmaceuticals” refers to both Western medicines and traditional Chinese herbal medicines. There are roughly 250 registered herbal medicine producers in Taiwan and 280 registered Western medicine manufacturers. Taiwan’s pharmaceutical industry grossed US$2.52 billion in sales in 2000, up... Read More
The market for medical equipment in Singapore expanded significantly in recent years. Singapore’s economic recovery accounted for much of the improvement. Medical device imports increased from US$412 million in 1999 to US$496 million in 2000 and are expected to rise further (final... Read More
Medical equipment sales in India continue to reach new heights, driven by increased demand for healthcare services. This demand is driven in turn by rising middle-class incomes and increased health consciousness among India’s people. In response, the public healthcare sector is improving... Read More
Mergers and acquisitions in the Japanese healthcare industry are on the rise. The strength of the dollar (versus the yen) and deregulation in Japan have many U.S. and European drug companies planning to increase their presence in Japan, where pharmaceutical sales are... Read More
Compared to the U.S. and many European countries, the biotechnology industry in Asia is embryonic. However, in recent years, several Asian countries have designated the expansion of biotechnology as crucial to their economic development. Some governments in Asia have thus begun taking... Read More
China’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will forever change the way foreign firms (and domestic ones) do business in China. Distribution services will be among the areas to first experience dramatic change, as foreign companies will be allowed to... Read More
Though modernization efforts have made great strides over the past decade, Vietnam’s hospitals are in desperate need of up-to-date medical equipment. The U.S. government projects that Vietnam will spend US$160 million on medical equipment in 2001, 80 percent of which will be... Read More
Sales potential for Western medicines in Hong Kong is substantial — approximately $1.6 billion is spent each year. Hong Kong’s pharmaceutical market grew 5.4 percent in 2000, the lowest increase in recent years. And with Hong Kong’s economy floundering, prospects for this... Read More
In late September 2001, the Japanese health authority released an early draft of its new medical industry reform plan. Though it seems unlikely that the plan will be ready by the April 2002 target date, the draft document gives insight into changes... Read More
The pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia is currently valued at more than US$300 million and is growing at an average annual rate of ten percent. By 2005, it is expected to account for 45.9 percent of the entire healthcare industry, or US$539.47 million... Read More