11-May-16 Japan is home to four of the world’s top 10 innovative medical device companies, including the world leader Olympus, according to the 2016 State of Innovation Report. China, Korea, Europe and the US are also listed in the global top 10. The medical devices sector clocked 27% growth in year-on-year patent volume in 2015, followed by pharmaceuticals at 4%. [image: Mestec]

08-May-16 Many Chinese hospitals are exploiting cancer patients by charging them for unproven treatments. Many of these hospitals are linked to the military and are thus out of the usual health department jurisdiction. The Chinese central government has declared that the PLA will have to completely divest itself of commercial ventures such as its hospitals. [image: Chinese Medical News]

08-May-16 It all started when “doctors” with no proper medical training from Putian in Fujian posted ads offering to treat venereal diseases. Three decades later, the Putian natives control more than 80% of China's private hospitals, and have close ties with military medical centres. They are now alleged to have provided unsuccessful cancer treatment to Wei Zexi, who died in Apr-16. [image: Reuters / China Daily]

08-May-16 Venture funding in healthcare globally reached a record USD4.5 bn in 302 deals in 2015, a four fold increase since 2011. A new generation of healthcare startups, focussing on the consumer market, has been gaining rapid ground. China, India and Singapore have become hotbeds for healthtech start-ups, most about doctor and clinic discovery. [image: Deal Street Asia]

28-Apr-16 Fitbit, the leader in connected health and fitness, and Tmall.com, China's largest third-party web platform, owned by Alibaba, have signed an MoU to expand Fitbit’s reach in China. The partnership will introduce the Fitbit platform to hundreds of millions across the country. "Since 2014, we’ve seen steady growth in the market," said Woody Scal, Chief Business Officer at Fitbit. [image: Fitbit]