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]

07-Jul-16 Around 61% of people prefer to buy medicines online, a survey in India has showed, highlighting a major change in consumer trends, even as the battle between offline and online chemists has intensified. Over 800,000 chemists recently threatened to go on indefinite strike if the government failed to regulate online sales. [image: Tetra Images / Getty Images]

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]

28-Jun-16 Following the discovery of a counterfeit vaccine ring in the city, Jakarta is deploying personnel to raid private hospitals and clinics to ensure none of them use fake medications. The police have cracked down on counterfeit production and distribution in West Java, Jakarta and Banten and have discovered fake measles, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus and hepatitis B vaccines. [image: WorldNews Network]