On October 15, 2007 Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) announced its “Action Program” to promote the generics market. Intended in part to increase the market share of generics to more than 30% by 2012, this Action Program will cover... Read More
This fall, India has announced plans to replace its current Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) with a new agency, the Central Drugs Authority of India (CDAI). The government hopes that the CDAI will help centralize the product approval process and improve... Read More
The Taiwanese legislature passed the “Biotech and New Pharmaceutical Development Act” in June 2007. The Act is designed to offer incentives to companies in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. In one major change, the Act allows publicly-funded researchers to help private companies... Read More
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
China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has recently issued various laws to regulate more stringently quality control in the medical market. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is also helping China improve its medical market. The HHS and... Read More
Based on a meeting of State drug controllers organized by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), over 30 combination drugs have been ordered for removal from the market. In addition, the review of over 1,000 other combinations drugs has also been... Read More
The Korean Cabinet recently passed a bill to allow the use of clinical trial drugs for patients suffering from serious illnesses having no alternative treatment options. This bill is a revision to the current Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and was approved August 28,... 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 MHLW has decided to establish a special exception to allow the use of non-approved drugs for patients suffering from serious illnesses and having no possible alternatives for treatment. Currently, individual import of medical treatments is allowed in certain cases, but this... Read More