Business Development Asia LLC
South East Asian Health News
ISSUE 3, OCTOBER 1997
REGIONAL
South East Asia is increasingly looking into ways to expand into the biotechnology industry. In 1988, Singapore began to establish a base of expertise by attracting biotech companies and by strengthening R&D in academic institutions. Over the next five years, Singapore expects US$1bn of corporate investments in its pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology industries. Indonesia and its Eijkmann Institute (which focuses on health research) are also trying to attract biotech expertise. (September 9th 1997)
China will restrict foreign investors to a minority stake in JV and ban wholly foreign-owned ventures in the healthcare sector, according to the newly enacted Supplementary Regulations Concerning Foreign Investment in Healthcare Institutions. Some South East Asian firms currently involved in JVs in China are Singapore Technologies Industrial Corp, Raffles Medical Group, Parkway Holdings, Beng & Ooi Holdings, and Health Corp of Singapore. (August 6th 1997)
The Chinese Government plans to impose price and profit controls on drug products, a move expected to discourage foreign investment. The plan is aimed at eliminating low quality manufacturers, stimulating mergers, and controlling prices of JV products, which are usually more expensive than products made by Chinese manufacturers. Under the proposal, the State Planning Commission will coordinate the prices of 132 locally made products and 800 to 1,000 imported medicines. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the fastest growing in China. In 1995 the industry's turnover exceeded US$12bn, up 17.1% from 1994. (September 18th 1997)
Inchcape Healthcar, a division of Inchcape Berhad, will market in South East Asia DentalAide, a comprehensive dental management computer software program from SIRC of the US. The marketing effort will initially target about 450 private dentists, hospitals, and government clinics in Singapore and then will expand into Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. SIRC expects sales in the region to be US$10m-US$20m in the next two years. (August 7th 1997)
Recent News: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam Focus: Malaysia: an increasingly entrepreneurial health sector
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