Singapore Writing in the November 2024 edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Johnson & Johnson’s Sandy Chan looks at the fast-evolving regulatory framework for medicines in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.   Asia Pacific (AP) is an immensely diverse and dynamic region with varying regulatory capabilities and capacities; consequently, AP regulators and…

UK Seen by most as life-sciences friendly, the UK Government’s 2024 Autumn Budget not only pledges to increase funding for the country’s ailing National Health Service (NHS), but to dedicate additional cash to R&D, and incentivise manufacturing through a new GBP 520 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF).   Addressing…

Mexico With the naming of Armida Zuñiga as head of the country’s regulatory body COFEPRIS, new Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has concluded the new government’s healthcare appointments and begun advancing her agenda by tackling Mexico’s widespread medicine shortages.   New Regulatory Lead By the time Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as…

China An overview of some of the top stories from China’s pharma industry, including the arrest of AstraZeneca China’s top executive; Pfizer’s USD 1 billion China investment; WuXi AppTec’s continuing revenue decline, and Aditum Bio and Leads Biolabs’ creation of autoimmune disease-focused Oblenio Bio. AstraZeneca’s China chief in custody, believes unrelated…

Global Traditional drug discovery is fraught with failure and often like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even once a candidate is identified, the development process takes thousands of man-hours and generally billions of dollars. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to change this paradigm. It can aggregate and synthesize…

Global Almost 2,500 attendees flocked to Madrid last week for the 2024 edition of Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD). The first European edition of the conference since 2018 was punctuated by a mood of excitement, with Leqembi (lecanemab) – the second drug that targets Alzheimer’s disease progression by reducing amyloid…

USA The participation of Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), in the FT Live Global Pharma and Biotech Summit coincided with the outcome of the American elections and the historic win by Republican Donald Trump. “When it comes to elections we work with governments of all stripes everywhere,” Walmsley assured. With…

Japan At this year’s FT Live Global Pharma and Biotech Summit, Takeda’s President and CEO Christophe Weber spoke about the increased challenges for healthcare systems. Weber acknowledged that as cost pressures increase, innovators like Takeda will need to make difficult choices to optimize their investments. He also identified the Japanese pharma’s…

UK A roundup of top stories from UK pharma and healthcare, including the innovative manufacturing fund comprised in the government’s new life-sciences-focused budget; GSK’s autoimmune therapy deal with Chimagen Biosciences; Northern Ireland’s potential post-Brexit drug shortages, and Oxford Biomedica’s reband as OXB.   UK to create world-first ‘early warning system’ for…

USA Focused on rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, Ultragenyx identifies itself as the industry’s most productive company working in the field of high un-met need diseases. With no fewer than four products approved across five indications, a blockbuster therapy that reached 2023 revenues of USD 328 million, and six candidates in…

Puerto Rico With lower labour costs than mainland US, but the same regulatory framework and straightforward market access, Puerto Rico has long presented a compelling value proposition for pharmaceutical manufacturing, a sector that accounts for some 30 percent of the island’s GDP.  After bouncing back from bankruptcy, devastating hurricanes and the COVID-19…

Saudi Arabia The latest pharmaceutical industry and healthcare news from the Middle East and Africa (MEA), including Eva Pharma’s rheumatoid arthritis deal with Eli Lilly; Avalon Pharmaceuticals’ global expansion ambitions; the agreement between Lifera and Novo Nordisk for Saudi insulin production;Kelix Bio’s four pharma acquisitions, and Aspen’s EUR 500 million financing package…