Taiwan invested over NT$20 billion (US$571 million) in biotechnology in 2001, up over 100 percent compared to 2000. Premier Chang Chun-hsiung announced last year that Taiwan’s government plans to increase its NT$10 billion (US$285.5 million) annual investment in biotechnology by 25 percent... Read More
China’s pharmaceutical market continues to grow by 10 to 15 percent per year. Many expect it to be the world’s largest pharmaceutical market by 2020, with sales topping US$60 billion by 2010. Imports from the U.S. accounted for 8.51% of the market... Read More
Recent estimates indicate that there are over 3,000 health food products sold on the market in China, including nutraceuticals, functional foods, and products based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). At least one source reports that total sales volume in China’s health food... Read More
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