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
In what many Western observers see as a misguided effort to contain rising healthcare costs, the State Development Planning Commission of China recently revived plans to institute price caps on the drug industry. The new regulations state that manufacturers may sell patented... Read More
Foreign pharmaceutical companies control at least 75% of the local drug market in the Philippines. Foreign firms’ market share is divided between several countries, with U.S. producers accounting for about 10% of the market, and Switzerland, Germany, Australia, France, and the U.K.... 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
Malaysia’s Drug Control Authority (DCA), which was established under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984, is a government authority that ensures the safety, effectiveness and quality of cosmetic products marketed in Malaysia. The DCA is responsible for the registration and... 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
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
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
With 2000 sales over US$1 billion and demand for medical devices predicted to grow by 10% in 2001, South Korea is Asia’s second largest medical device market, after Japan. Imports from the United States increased nearly 60% in 2000 to US$308 million... Read More