The Asia Corner - From the Editors of PharmAsia News February 17, 2009
In this BioPharma Today feature, the editors of PharmAsia News take a closer look each week at the most important biopharma developments from China, India, Japan and the Pacific Rim.
Read today's features...
Years after its top Indian rivals set up operations in Europe, India's most valued drug company Sun Pharmaceutical is planning to make a start in six large European markets that include United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. Sun Pharma chairman Dilip Shanghvi, known to be one of the most media shy personalities in the Indian corporate world also shares some more insights about his company's plans with PharmAsia News (PharmAsia News, Feb. 12, 2009).
This week in India, concerns about clinical trials intensified after a report by advocacy group Center for Studies in Ethics and Rights raised questions about ethics followed on clinical trials for GlaxoSmithKline’s Tykerb (lapatinib), AstraZeneca’s Seroquel (quetiapine) and Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal (risperidone) (PharmAsia News, Feb. 13, 2009).
The Indian government also took cognizance of environmental safety norms allegedly flouted by pharmaceutical companies. The government decided to form a task force to assess the impact of drug manufacturing on the environment. Several drug firms in India are believed to have discharged contaminated waste thereby destroying the fragile ecological system (PharmAsia News, Feb. 12, 2009).
Swiss drug major Roche may be looking at taking full control of Genentech but its arm Roche Diagnostics is spreading deeper into emerging markets. PharmAsia News’ India bureau interviewed Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific Managing Director Roland Diggelmann to learn more about the future of personalized healthcare and the company’s plans of tapping new growth markets (PharmAsia News, Feb. 12, 2009).
Diagnostics seems to be the flavor of the season as Hong Kong based Biofield expressed its plans to market cancer diagnostics products in China and India.
The company announced it had acquired worldwide distribution rights for various cancer diagnostics products from ValiRx, a UK-based biotechnology company (PharmAsia News, Feb. 12, 2009).
In China, heparin related deaths reported last year continued to push the U.S. FDA to take fool-proof measures on medicine quality. FDA has decided to set up a pilot project aimed at preventing imports of adulterated drugs (PharmAsia News, Feb. 13, 2009).
South Korea FDA tightened its controls for better regulations on drugs, devices and food industry. Taking a cue from the U.S. FDA, a state prosecutor will lead the Office of Criminal Investigation, on top of Korea Food and Drug Administration’s traditional duty of supervision (PharmAsia News, Feb. 13, 2009).
Carrying forward moves of tighter control on drug sales in the Asia Pacific region, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare clamped down on internet OTC drug sales. Defending its moves, the ministry said consumers can more safely purchase OTC drugs when given face-to-face advice by pharmacists at drug stores (PharmAsia News, Feb. 12, 2009).
– Vikas Dandekar
[Editor's note: PharmAsia News will host a webinar Feb. 20 on drug pricing and reimbursement reform in China. For more information, click here.]
