Hong Kong Small markets must inevitably etch out a niche positioning for themselves, and for Hong Kong, its world-class medical infrastructure, world-renowned academics and clinicians as well as high population density make it a strong contender in clinical research.   Hong Kong is an important piece of our global R&D landscape Scott…

Hong Kong In 2017, Hong Kong fended off perennial competitors, life sciences hubs and innovation powerhouses, Switzerland and Singapore, to rank first in the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s World Competitiveness Rankings, clear evidence that conditions are ripe in Hong Kong to develop the first biotech unicorn – a start-up company…

Indonesia The Halal Product Assurance Law, enacted in 2014 and due to be implemented across Indonesia in 2019, will mandate that all food and drink that that enters, is distributed, and is traded in Indonesia must be halal certified. However, the law will also extend to cover all medicines, chemicals and…

Algeria Long considered maladies of affluent urban populations in mature Western economies, non communicable diseases (NCDs)– such as diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases – have been spreading silently and unchecked throughout the African continent to the point where they are now reaching epidemic proportions and becoming a major determinant…

Pharma PharmaBoardroom’s readers were polled on what they felt was the most disruptive force in the pharmaceutical industry today. Possible answers were big data and digitalization, patient-centricity, economic austerity, and advancements in supply chain management. Big Data and Digitalization Overall, most respondents chose big data and digitalization (34 percent) and economic…

Algeria In June 2017, PharmaBoardroom hosted an exclusive round table discussion with key players in Algerian healthcare on the role of health economics and patient data in health policy decision making. The participants were Dr Djaouad Brahim Bourkaib, Director General of Social Security in the Ministry of Labor, Jean-Paul Digy, Vice President for…

USA In 2016, rumours of a weakening FDA followed a disappointing 16 new drugs approved for the full year. However, since the beginning of 2017 the FDA has approved 26 drugs; double the amount of the mid-year average since 2007. “The eight oncology treatments approved by the FDA this year represent…

Japan Kenichi Tamiya, director for Biomedical Policy at the Kobe City Government and managing director of the Kobe Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation (FBRI), discusses the central Japanese city of Kobe’s significant potential as a cutting-edge R&D hub for both the national and global life science industries. “Alongside promoting translational…

Algeria This chart shows how Algeria’s pharmaceuticals and healthcare system has evolved over time; from the creation of the Algerian Central Pharmacy (PCA) back in 1962, all the way to the implementation of the ANPP in 2017. Click here to download the latest roundtable discussion on Algerian healthcare

Japan Prof. Yoshiaki Tsukamoto, executive director of the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA), talked exclusively to PharmaBoardroom at the BIO 2017 conference in San Diego on the role of his organization within Japan and his mission to instill a start-up culture within the Japanese biopharmaceutical industry. “[My mission is] urging universities, biotech start-ups…

Mexico According to a recent World Health Organization study, countries must allocate at least six percent of their GDP to research and development to be considered to have a healthy investment in this area. As Mexico currently only invests 1.8 percent of its GDP into R&D, there is clearly still a…

Mexico Mexico’s medical device segment displays promising growth indicators, with innovative companies providing integrated and digital solutions now firmly embedded within the healthcare landscape. However, regulatory obstacles as well as a lack of joined-up thinking in the public sector remain in place; potentially restricting the industry from realising its full potential.…