Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH) recently issued new regulations on drug prices. Currently, most price controls in Vietnam are enforced by mandatory reporting. Under the new laws, prices will be more directly administered. Drug pricing will be split into three segments, each... Read More
After decades of slow growth, India's economy is now advancing rapidly. From 1996 to 2006 its GDP grew at an average rate of 7% yearly, and this growth figure increased to 10% in 2006. It is expected to keep growing at 7%... Read More
Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working for several years on gradually establishing a medical device registration system. In February 2005, they announced the Medical Device Voluntary Establishment Registration program, abbreviated MeDVER. Implemented in January 2006, this is a system where... Read More
Earlier this spring, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health conducted drug price audits with recent reports of price hikes. Visiting local pharmacies, representative offices of pharmaceutical firms and drug wholesalers, the Ministry of Health found 13 pharmaceutical companies increasing prices without appropriate government approval.... Read More
The Medical Device Product Working Group of the ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality held a meeting from July 30 to August 2, 2007 to discus various topics and strategies to increase harmonization of medical device regulations across the ASEAN countries.... Read More
In February 2007, the Philippine Senate passed the bill SB2263. This bill shortens the period of patent protection, legalizes parallel importation, allows local generic companies to experiment with drug formulations before patents expire and allows various other actions to help lower drug... Read More
The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) has recently issued Administrative Order No. 2007-003 which transfers some medical device regulation responsibilities from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to the Bureau of Health Devices and Technology (BHDT). Joint Bureau Memorandum No. 2007-1... Read More
The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) has recently focused on the generics market, with new regulations and planned regulations for the future. On April 18, 2007, the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) approved adding generic drugs to the National... Read More
The Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has recently issued a draft regulation “Measures on Managing Registration of Drugs,” which is currently soliciting public opinions on it. These measures outline new guidelines for evaluating drugs before marketing them in China. The... Read More
India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued new regulations on drugs not currently under the mandatory price control list. These drugs are referred to as “non-scheduled formulations” and are currently sold freely. Companies will be short-listed for price control if they... Read More