10-Jul-16 In a medical power shift in Asia, China is catching up fast with Korea and even Japan. Although it is still unclear how much money China spends on medical R&D, the country now makes up 20% of the world's total R&D expenditures, second only after the US (27%), according to the 2016 Science & Engineering Indicators report. [image: Korea Times / Jung Min-ho]

05-Jul-16 India is making steady progress in the export of drugs around the world. India's Commerce & Industry Ministry said "India's pharmaceutical exports continued their lead over China in 2015." However, experts warn this trend will wane if Indian firms continue to depend on Chinese raw materials. [image: Pixabay]

09-Jul-16 As China's medical bills rise steeply, outpacing government insurance provision, patients and their families are increasingly turning to loans to pay for healthcare, adding to the country's growing burden of consumer debt. That is luring big companies like Ping An Insurance as well as small loan firms and P2P platforms, as China's traditional savings culture proves inadequate. [image: Reuters / David Gray]

07-Jul-16 China’s pharmaceutical system will struggle to cope with a rapidly aging population and increases in non-communicable diseases says a report by LSE Health and the State Council. The report identifies market fragmentation as a major challenge, with the top five manufacturers holding <15% market share, and finds R&D accounts for only 2% of sales, compared with 14-18% for MNC pharma companies. [image: LSE]

05-Jul-16 The da Vinci surgery robot made by US-based Intuitive Surgical performs minimally invasive, complex surgeries safely. The Beijing United Family Hospital & Clinics (BJU) is one of very few domestic hospitals in China with this technology. The hospital performed 100 operations within the first year, especially paediatric urological operations - making BJU a pioneer in paediatric robotic surgery in China. [image: BJU / Global Times]