28-Dec-15 Japan's government has approved a draft budget for 2016 including JPY82.5 bn for the Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare (MHLW) to promote development of innovative new drugs and medical devices, based on the comprehensive strategy for strengthening the pharmaceutical industry announced in Sep-15. Among others, this budget will fund initiatives to promote the practical application of genomic medicine. [image: Tohoku University]

16-Dec-15 AstraZeneca aims to build up its already strong position in China by making and developing more medicines locally, and will invest more than USD800 mn in the country over the next 10 years. The British drugmaker's decision to step up investment, notably through a strategic alliance with WuXi AppTec, chimes with Beijing's desire to see more treatments made in China. [image: China Daily]

15-Dec-15 Despite recording gains in recent years, India continues to lag several health indicators such as mortality rates and malnutrition. A paper in The Lancet identifies seven structural problems: 1. A weak primary healthcare; 2. Unequally distributed human resources; 3. Large unregulated private sector; 4. Low public spending; 5. Fragmented information systems; 6. Irrational drug use and spiralling cost; 7. Weak governance and accountability. [image: Hindustan Times]

14-Dec-15 Chinese consumers spent RMB65 bn (USD10 bn) buying medicines, healthcare products and services on Alibaba’s Chinese retail sites in 2014, up 63% from a year earlier. In addition, sales of nursing care services grew 205% on Singles’ Day, while sales of health insurance increased 432% on Alibaba’s sites, including the huge Taobao and Tmall marketplaces. [image: International Supermarket News]

04-Dec-15 In a move aimed to improve the "sustainability of the health insurance system", Chinese political advisors have suggested cutting red tape to encourage domestic development of generic drugs but also establishing tougher standards to assess their quality. [image: Patty Chen / Reuters]