Mexico According to a recent World Health Organization study, countries must allocate at least six percent of their GDP to research and development to be considered to have a healthy investment in this area. As Mexico currently only invests 1.8 percent of its GDP into R&D, there is clearly still a…

Mexico Mexico’s medical device segment displays promising growth indicators, with innovative companies providing integrated and digital solutions now firmly embedded within the healthcare landscape. However, regulatory obstacles as well as a lack of joined-up thinking in the public sector remain in place; potentially restricting the industry from realising its full potential.…

Switzerland The southern Swiss canton of Ticino does not have the life science reputation of Basel, Zurich or Geneva, but benefits from an open business environment, strategic location, and a thriving network of pharmaceutical SMEs. “Ticino is really a perfect example of the excellence of Swiss SMEs in the pharma industry, as…

Taiwan Leveraging Taiwan’s remarkable talent pool in chemistry, some of the country’s fastest-growing companies have been concentrating their efforts on technology platforms that allow them to develop a plethora of potentially game-changing products, rather than focusing all their resources on the risky development of a single, potentially groundbreaking product.   Taiwan…

Greece Pharmaceutical logistics companies in Greece have had to work hard and innovatively to emerge from the debt crisis; focusing on leveraging international connections and maintaining quality to stay profitable. Now however, major new international investment into the port of Piraeus stands to put Greece back on the world logistics map.…

Ipsen These are exciting times for Ipsen in Ireland, with plans to expand the company’s already significant API manufacturing footprint to deal with increasing global demand for its products. “Sales from [Somatuline® (lanreotide) and Decapeptyl® (triptorelin)] amounted to over EUR 700 million in 2015, which was over half of Ipsen’s global…

Switzerland Switzerland has been long-established as one of the world’s most innovative countries and boasts a thriving ecosystem of startup biotechs. However, a slow and complex funding cycle means that an increasing number of Swiss biotechs are looking towards the US for funding; a trend that risks destabilising and weakening the…

Ireland The UK’s decision to leave the EU in Summer 2016 sent shockwaves throughout Europe and left neighbouring countries struggling to interpret what ‘Brexit’ means for them. Ireland, as the UK’s closest neighbour both culturally and geographically, could stand to benefit from the decision in the medium- to long-term, especially in…

Greece Despite the difficulties of the financial crisis and subsequent austerity legislation, pharma firms implanted in Greece have nonetheless continued to exhibit great commitment and staying power. “The big multinationals have not been panicking and resorting to large-scale layoffs or fleeing the market.” Konstantinos Kofinas, Merck “Regardless of the challenges posed…

Poland Poland’s entrance into the EU has been a catalyst for growth that has allowed the country to flourish, shown by the nation’s ranking as the eighth largest economy in Europe according to the World Bank. The introduction into Europe has sprung the borders open, and for the Polish pharmaceutical industry this…

Mexico Representatives of Olivares, one of the leading law firms in Mexico, explain the evolving status of cannabis and narcotics for medicinal use in the country. A new Bill authorizing the use of cannabis for medical treatments was passed by the Senate in December 2016, but there is still a long…

Asia 2016 was a year of great activity for the pharma industry, with economic uncertainties, seismic political shifts in the UK and US, and cost-containment measures in several countries. Consequently, PharmaBoardroom surveyed over 400 of its executive readership over four continents to get a sense of their optimism for the industry in 2017.…