http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Insight RSS Feed from Business Monitor International en Copyright 2008, Business Monitor International Ltd Tue, 13 May 2008 06:30 GMT Tue, 13 May 2008 06:30 GMT AFP RSS Generator Following disappointing financial results, Canadian firm Biovail has revealed a restructuring plan. The drugmaker will close two foreign manufacturing plants and will increasingly focus on developing drugs for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. BMI believes that the company has made a necessary change in strategy, but we are most impressed by Biovail's desire to finally end controversy surrounding alleged commercial misconduct during the early 2000s, which has been a significant drain on http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64787/Biovail-Restructures-Operations.html Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00 GMT It is BMI's view that the diabetes epidemic in India represents a significant opportunity for drugmakers. The debilitating condition accounts for a large portion of the country's burden of disease and the problem is growing. Appreciating this situation, two of leading multinational drugmakers have announced plans for launching their innovative products onto the http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64703/Diabetes-Sector-Targeted-By-Leading-Players.html Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT Providing a small but welcome boost to the US generic drug market, Wal-Mart has expanded its low-priced prescription drug scheme. The world's largest retailer now offers a 90-day course of generic drug prescriptions for US$10, packs of brand-name over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for US$4, and has expanded its offerings of women's health products. As a result, consumers on low incomes and without health insurance will see significant savings to their pharmaceutical bills. Given the previous success of the scheme and this latest development, BMI expects Wal-Mart to continue rolling-out the offers in additional foreign http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64702/Wal-Mart-Expands-Low-Price-Prescription-Drug-Scheme.html Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT Due to erosion of margins, pharmaceutical companies have called on Pakistan's government to allow them to increase the price of medicines. The firms say that the price of drugs has remained stable for the last five years, while the cost of production has risen by one-fifth over the same period. It is BMI's view that the price controls will remain in place for the medium term, primarily because of the widespread http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64651/Drugmakers-Call-For-Higher-Prices.html Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00 GMT To counter a 'lull' in US and Western Europe sales, GE Healthcare Life Sciences is targeting significantly increased demand in India for its tools that aid drug discovery. Over the coming year, the company is expecting 30% growth and hopes to capture a greater share of the US$400mn Indian bio-supplies sector. Given the advanced product range assembled by GE Healthcare Life Sciences and a planned increase in headcount, BMI believes that the company is well placed to achieve its http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64597/GE-Healthcare-Life-Sciences-Targets-High-Growth.html Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00 GMT The pharmaceutical industry is frequently accused as being motivated by profits over patients. Terms like patent evergreening and disease mongering are an ongoing smear on a sector that truly does seek to reduce the burden of disease through the commercial application of science. Therefore, it is with pleasure that BMI can highlight an altruistic development that goes some way to improving the image of http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64544/Novo-Nordisk-Donates-Chemical-Library-To-Chinese-Research-Institute.html Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00 GMT BMI estimates that over 95% of global pharmaceutical sales are made by private enterprises, and predicts that this figure will increase in the future. State-run drugmakers are an anachronism in the modern capitalist age and are either being privatised or shut down. However, there are still several examples across the world. Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) is one that is resisting the http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64411/GPO-Rejects-Input-From-Private-Sector.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT US-based information technology corporation Hewlett-Packard (HP) is increasing its interests in the pharmaceutical industry with the launch of a hi-tech print cartridge. The HP Pharma Black CB935A Inkjet Print Cartridge is being sold to drugmakers as an anti-counterfeit device, as it allows branding, dosages and barcodes to be directly applied to individual tablets and capsules. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64377/HP-Introduces-Print-Cartridge-For-Drugmakers.html Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT Competition in South Korea's US$6bn generic drug sector is set to increase after one of the leading global players announced plans to break ties with its local partner and go it alone. Following the termination of their partnership, both Switzerland's Sandoz and domestic drugmaker Dong Wha will be able to focus their marketing efforts, occasionally against each other. BMI believes this development internationalises the generic drug sector and we expect subsequent foreign entrants to promote their own drugs without a local http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64284/Sandoz-Goes-It-Alone.html Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT Indian company Dabur India has sold its pharmaceutical division to German healthcare firm Fresenius Kabi. The asset mainly sells generic anticancer agents, and the purchase price was INR872 crore (US$219mn). BMI believes Dabur's real motivation behind the transaction was to focus on its core competency of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), rather than the official line. According to Dabur's founder and director, Anand Burman, Fresenius is much better equipped in terms of international marketing capabilities to realise the full potential of the division. By not selling, Dabur would have being doing a 'disservice to the shareholders', he added. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64204/Dabur-Sells-Anticancer-Business.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT In what could be a significant boost to the self-sufficiency of Mexico's pharmaceutical market, state-owned vaccine maker Laboratorios de Biológicos y Reactivos de México (Birmex) has completed an upgrade of one of its two production facilities. The Instituto Nacional de Virología (INV) has reopened with increased capacity and is expected to be able to meet all domestic demand for polio http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64056/Birmex-Ups-Vaccine-Capacity.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT In what could be a significant boost to the self-sufficiency of Mexico's pharmaceutical market, state-owned vaccine maker Laboratorios de Biológicos y Reactivos de México (Birmex) has completed an upgrade of one of its two production facilities. The Instituto Nacional de Virología (INV) has reopened with increased capacity and is expected to be able to meet all domestic demand for polio http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64057/Birmex-Ups-Vaccine-Capacity.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT In what could be a significant boost to the self-sufficiency of Mexico's pharmaceutical market, state-owned vaccine maker Laboratorios de Biológicos y Reactivos de México (Birmex) has completed an upgrade of one of its two production facilities. The Instituto Nacional de Virología (INV) has reopened with increased capacity and is expected to be able to meet all domestic demand for polio http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64055/Birmex-Ups-Vaccine-Capacity.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT The usual bold plans for using trade to leverage improved intellectual property (IP) provisions were contained within the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)'s 2008 National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, which was delivered to Congress in March. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64054/Evolving-Role-Of-Trade-As-A-Weapon-Against-Counterfeits.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT Two of Latin America's leading drugmakers are to collaborate to initiate an intra-region tie-up. Mexico's Laboratories Silanes and Brazil's Aché Laboratórios Farmacêuticos have signed licensing and distribution agreements to market each other's products in their respective markets. BMI welcomes this relatively uncommon, but potentially lucrative agreement across two of the world's most promising emerging pharmaceutical http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/64053/Silanes-And-Ache-Tie-Up.html Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT