01-Mar-17 Japan's national health insurance logged a deficit of JPY284 bn yen (USD2.5 bn) in 2015 as an injection of public funds failed to compensate for rising costs stemming from an aging subscriber pool and pricey new treatments. The main culprit was a rise in benefit payments, which grew 2.1%. High-priced hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni also played a role. [image: Nikkei Asian Reveiw]

27-Feb-17 With an economic potential still largely untapped, the Greater Mekong Region should be front and center in the plans of any pharma, medical device or biotech organization looking to expand in Asia. Among the volatile and unpredictable emerging markets throughout Asia, Vietnam and Myanmar have shown strong growth in their economies and appetite for pharma and medical devices. [image: Life Science Leader]

24-Feb-17 China has launched the “two-invoice” system in drug distribution on a trial basis, aiming to improve transparency in drug prices and eliminate excessive profit margins associated with multi-tier distribution models. The two-invoice system had been debated for over a decade. The system is expected to be fully implemented in public hospitals by the end of 2018. [image: Global Compliance News]

16-Feb-17 SLifestyle diseases are an epidemic in India. The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the more likely it can be cured or managed. That's because medical diagnostic tests intervene and help prevention at a stage when treatment and cure is possible. This makes continued innovation in diagnosis supremely important for delivering better health delivery standards and a healthier, disease free population. [image: PATH]

14-Feb-17 The Indian government is planning to establish an exclusive zone for pharma and medtech in Bengaluru to give a boost to domestic production of these products under the Make in India initiative. Minister Mansukh Lal Mandaviya said the recent approval of the zone in Andhra Pradesh has attracted over 30 investment proposals. [image: Business Standard]