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]

07-Jul-16 China's top pricing regulator has launched a round of drug pricing and healthcare financing reform in the latest attempt to improve the nation's public healthcare system. The pricing reform is expected by the end of 2020, by which time financing of all public hospitals will mainly depend on healthcare services and government compensation, rather than markup of drug prices. [image: Inventariando China]

01-Jul-16 Biotechnology is one of seven strategic industries that the Chinese government designated in the 13th Five-Year Plan. "Made in China 2025", an initiative to upgrade industry, also designates biotechnology as a key industry to push economic development. China's bio-pharmaceutical market is expected to reach USD601 bn by 2020. [image: China Daily]