Brazil The latest pharma news from Brazil, including Daiichi Sankyo’s new plant; Bristol Myers Squibb’s re-entry into Brazil’s cardiology market; the Anvisa approval of HIV prevention drug, cabotegravir; Merck’s gamble on the Brazilian obesity market and Novo Nordisk’s patent extension denial.   Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo invests $80 million to expand Brazilian…

Belgium Thanks to its world-renowned networks of medical and academic institutions, the long-standing presence of Big Pharma, and a favourable regulatory environment, Belgium has a well-established tradition of excellence in clinical trials. Pharma industry leaders and Belgian government officials weigh in on the factors threatening the country’s position as a clinical…

United Kingdom Life sciences have been steadily losing ground in the UK with a significant drop in global R&D investments and a decreasing number of patients enrolled in clinical trials. The British government has announced a GBP 650 million “Life Sci for Growth” package along with some pro-innovation regulation and a review…

Greece After 15 years of economic struggles coupled with political swings to the left and right, Greece seems to be on its surest footing in decades. Indeed, the Economist observed that the May 2023 election victory of incumbent Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (and the heavy defeat handed to his left…

Hong Kong With the global market for cell and gene therapy (CGT) products set to skyrocket in the coming years, Hong Kong is looking to get in on the action with the opening of a new Advanced Therapy Products (ATP) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Centre earlier this month.   Leveraging the city’s…

Denmark Danish allergy specialist ALK will have a new CEO in 2024, with current incumbent Carsten Hellmann set to step down after a seven-year spell in the hot seat. Hellmann, 59, will be replaced by the comparatively youthful 45-year-old Peter Halling at the end of the year, which ALK Board Chairman…

Greece Country managers from three leading medtech multinationals give their take on the key access challenges facing medical device companies in Greece.   New Access Models “While some value-based procurement agreements have been struck in the private sector, we are struggling to gain acceptance for such agreements in the public sector.…

Greece One of Greece’s leading domestic pharmaceutical companies, RAFARM has had a stellar recent history, including a momentous entry into the US market. Now looking to establish itself as one of Europe’s major players in ophthalmics and complex injectables, VP Aris Mitsopoulos highlights the key learnings from this US experience and…

Europe Ahead of the much-discussed implementation of an EU-wide legislative framework on joint clinical assessments in 2025, Merck’s Nikola Vesic outlines the scope and aims of the reform and highlights some of the challenges in bridging the gap between theoretical vision and practical implementation.*     In 2022, the European Union…

UAE MSD GCC’s new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with The Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) aims to advance research into breast and lung cancer. The deal, signed at the BIO International Convention 2023, marks the continuation of a long-term collaboration between the two entities.   Present at the signing were…

Egypt The memorandum of understanding includes the localization of manufacturing at EVA Pharma’s specialized and internationally accredited facility for the manufacture of immunosuppressants in the 10th of Ramadan City, Egypt, in addition to the possibility of exporting to several emerging markets in Africa.   In addition to Roche Egypt General Manager…

UAE With a welter of regulatory upgrades in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in recent years, patients in the Middle East’s leading countries now have wider and faster access to cutting-edge biopharmaceutical innovation than ever before. Here, four leading lights in the region’s pharmaceutical industry highlight some of the most important…