China BeiGene may not be a profitable business quite yet, but the Chinese biotech has two top oncology products and saw its sales soar to USD 2.2 billion in 2023. Having set its sights on markets outside of China, with its BTK inhibitor Brukinsa already approved across multiple geographies, the company…

Japan Some of the biggest stories coming out of Japanese pharma, including Takeda’s USD 2.2 billion Alzheimer’s deal with AC Immune and its plans to restructure; the continuing probe into deaths linked to a Kobayashi Pharmaceutical supplement; Kyowa Kirin’s acquisition of Orchard Therapeutics, and Shionogi’s buy up of Maze Therapeutics’ Pompe…

India Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) concerns have grown in global importance in the last few years due to several factors, including increased awareness of and demand for sustainable investing, the need for companies to maintain what McKinsey calls their ‘social license’, and the potential financial benefits of strong ESG performance.…

LatAm For the second consecutive year, DIA Europe hosted a Latin America Town Hall, a panel discussion to foster collaboration and share updates from regulatory activities in Latin America and Europe, and the intersections between them. MSD’s Leonardo Semprun, writing in the May 2024 edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, highlights…

Mexico In a move to address medicine shortages Mexico’s outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador last year launched a Super Pharmacy, or “Megafarmacia del Bienestar,” dubbed the largest medicine stockpile n the world. But with the country’s presidential elections looming and evidence that few prescriptions have actually been filled, detractors say…

UK Throughout his long career, John-Arne Rottingen has gathered experience across multiple domains from discovery research to public health and diplomacy that led him to become the founding CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI). In January he took on the leadership of the UK-based foundation Wellcome, coinciding with…

China Global pharma has been stepping up M&A activity in Asia while also looking to access Asian markets through local partners and tap into the region’s huge growth potential. As a result, the role of Business Development (BD) at international pharma companies has evolved. In a recent PharmaBoardroom interview, Servier’s Asia…

Korea A roundup of some of the biggest stories from South Korean healthcare and pharma, including the government’s continuing standoff with doctors over medical reform plans; Merck’s plans for a new 300-million-euro plant; EuBiologics’s World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification for its cholera vaccine, and Samsung Biologics’ record Q1 earnings.   South…

USA In the latest government-driven initiative to tackle drug prices in the US after the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), California plans to cut drug prices by buying opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone directly from its generics manufacturer and distributing it under its own CalRx initiative.   California will continue to be…

China Chinese player Legend Biotech reached a new turning point last month when its Johnson & Johnson-partnered Carvykti became the first BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell therapy to be approved by the FDA for second-line treatment of multiple myeloma. From its original roots in China to its first FDA approval in 2022, the…

France The biggest stories from French healthcare and pharma, including AstraZeneca’s acquisition of Amolyt Pharma; protests over Sanofi layoffs; Pierre Fabre’s purchase of Kinnate Biopharma’s  experimental pan-RAF inhibitor, and French biotech SeaBeLife’s EUR 1.5 million funding round.   Withdrawal of a flu vaccine due to a price dispute between Sanofi and…

Saudi Arabia While international pharma has long been present in Saudi Arabia, the ambitious goals outlined in the country’s Vision 2030 economic transformation plan have encouraged companies to reinforce their commitment to the Kingdom. In recent PharmaBoardroom interviews, Saudi pharma country managers reveal their priorities and concerns.   Saudi Arabia holds immense…