Japan’s recent food-related scares have prompted the Japanese government to take more serious measures in addressing the country’s food safety. Last year, Snow Brand Food Products Co., was involved in highly publicized scandals involving the distribution of foreign meats labeled as domestic... Read More
The National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report released in April 2003 by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) recently criticized South Korea’s trade barriers and lack of communication between the Korean government and multinational pharmaceutical companies. Based on the strong language... Read More
In an effort to prevent and reduce errors in administering medication, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan (Council) ratified a revision of the Pharmacy Law on January, 14, 2003, requiring that all medicines sold in Taiwan must have labels in Chinese. Due to increased instances... Read More
In order to create a more integrated system for Japan’s medical regulatory process, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare signed a bill at the end of 2002 establishing a new independent administrative institution. The new institution will unify the Organization for... Read More
Indian drug manufacturers and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IFPMA), which represents multinational, research-driven, pharmaceutical companies around the world, recently clashed over the production of counterfeit drugs in India. In late January 2003, IFPMA accused the Indian pharmaceutical industry of... Read More
The Chinese government announced on March 6, 2003 a radical restructuring of several government bureaucracies. Among the government bodies that will undergo drastic change will be the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. The... Read More
Despite the social hardships, economic stagnation has been a catalyst in Japan for the relaxation of regulatory control in the pharmaceutical industry. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Japanese government restricted the entry of foreign drugs in order to assist local... Read More
The Japanese Health Insurance Reform Bill was enacted at the end of July 2002. This reform will shift healthcare cost burdens towards the active workers and the elderly. The main changes as a result of the bill are as follows: Co-payment for... Read More
The Ministry of Science and Technology as well as other governmental bodies in China are considering the implementation of a tax break or exemption for companies that invest in new drug development. Up to this time, China has not been a major... Read More
Slowing economies have not stopped Asian countries from moving ahead with medical device regulatory reforms. Asian consumers demand high-quality healthcare products, making it worthwhile for American manufactures to be active in the region. Procedures and practices vary according to country. This article... Read More