UK Last year the UK-based pharma industry warned against the country’s waning competitiveness, condemning the government’s statutory scheme designed to control drug prices. UK-headquartered AstraZeneca joined the battle cry, claiming it would be choosing Ireland over Britain, a decision the company has now more than revised with a GBP 650 million…

Switzerland The biggest pharma news from Switzerland, including the industry’s cautious reaction to a new free trade deal with India; the drop in Roche’s share prices; Novartis’ acquisiton of MorphoSys, and the licence agreement between EraCal Therapeutics and Novo Nordisk.   Swiss industry welcomes agreement with India, pharma more cautious (Le…

China The latest news from Chinese pharma, including progress on the US Senate bill targeting BGI and WuXi AppTec, a report on why drug research is slowing in the country, and why Chinese firms are targeting global deals to navigate the capital crunch.   US Senate bill targeting China’s BGI, WuXi…

India Clinical trials will be a pivotal part of India’s attempts to scale the global pharmaceutical value chain. Following a series of well-publicised scandals in the early 2010s, the country tightened up its clinical research regulations and saw a significant drop in trial numbers. However, with a revised regulatory landscape, a…

Portugal Diabetes is a rising threat to the Portuguese people, the country’s healthcare system, and its economy. Portugal’s National Diabetes Observatory observed that 1.1 million Portuguese people between the ages of 20 and 79.5 (out of a total population of just 10.3 million) were living with diabetes in 2021.   This…

Global Pharma is rushing to adopt AI-driven tools in the hope of revolutionizing everything from drug discovery to clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and marketing efforts. While AI is the technology du jour, Saskia Steinacker, senior VP, global head strategy and digital transformation at Bayer, argues that successful AI implementation within Pharma…

Global Drawing inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s directorial breakthrough in the early 1990s, Blue Spoon Consulting’s John Singer explores the pharma sector’s urgent need for a strategic overhaul to ensure success and sustain growth amidst looming patent expirations.   Lex is the flagship investment column of the Financial Times. Its commentaries, currently written…

China No longer a fledgling biotech, oncology-focused BeiGene, originally created in China in 2010 with the idea of carrying out world-class research there, has since expanded its global reach and garnered approvals for its therapies Brukinsa and Tevimbra. The company is on a growth trajectory with product sales reaching USD 2.2…

USA The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has had a board reshake, naming Gilead Sciences Chairman and CEO Daniel O’Day as its new chair. The reorganisation comes after the industry group’s failed efforts to block the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the departure of several high-profile members.   Gilead…

LatAm An overview of some of the biggest stories from Latin American pharma and healthcare, including Brazil’s rollout of dengue vaccines following a sharp increase in cases; the Brazilian  regulatory agency ANVISA’s strategy to become a WHO-listed authority andAspid Pharma’s agreement with Institute for Research on Obesity of the Tecnológico de…

Portugal Novo Nordisk’s spectacular ascendancy in 2023 has meant that its country managers across the world have had to embrace scrutiny and press coverage like never before.   In its centenary year, the Danish firm’s new generation of obesity drugs supercharged revenues to around EUR 30 billion, a 30 percent hike…

South Korea Despite its ageing population and growing need for healthcare, South Korea had just 2.6 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022, one of the lowest numbers among developed nations. To deal with the shortage, the government has created a plan to boost the yearly number of medical students, but this has…