Upcoming Event: Pharma China Annual Forum 2012 on March 30 in Shanghai
2/17/2012
Event: Pharma China Annual Forum 2012
Organizer: Pharma China
Sponsors: RDPAC and more TBA
Date: 9:00 AM to 5:15 PM, March 30, 2012
Venue: Rendezvous Merry Hotel Shanghai (美丽园龙都大酒店), China
396 Yanan Rd. West, Shanghai, China
Tel: +86 21 6249 5588
Brochure:
PCF2012-Brochure with registration form.pdfFees: CNY 4,200 for Pharma China subscribers and employees of RDPAC members, others pay full fee of CNY 5,500
Contact: David Xue, Chief Representative, Pharma China
Tel: +86 18601267831
Event Highlights
- Contemporary trends & issues in Chinese Pharma in 2011 and early 2012
- Healthcare reform and policy impacts on the Chinese pharma sector
- Pharma-related regulatory developments and outlook
- Changing dynamics in Chinese pharma/healthcare landscape
- Market outlook for 2012 and beyond
- Interactive discussion and brainstorming with our panel of top experts
Introduction
Although there are growing concerns about China's economy and uncertainties with the country's healthcare reform, the pharmaceutical industry has remained generally positive about the future outlook of the Chinese healthcare market.
In the face of policy turbulences, pricing pressures and a host of other challenges, the pharmaceutical industry in China had shown unusual resilience last year and delivered steady revenue growth but at lower margins. The output value and sales growth of the API, pharma formulation, biological product sub-sectors continued to show steady growth rates between 23% and 29% in the first three quarters of last year, while the Chinese hospital drug market rose 18.1% in MAT 3Q/2011. However, repeated price cuts and cost containment measures have hurt the pharma industry bottom line in 2011. The net profit of the API, pharma formulation and biological product sub-sectors grew only 10%, 13% and 7% respectively in the period.
Large pharmaceutical companies, represented by state-controlled companies and MNCs, continued to reposition and expand through M&As, diversification drives, alliances and partnerships, and capacity building for both manufacturing and R&D in 2011. Against conventional wisdom, smaller private companies actually did quite well last year at the expense of large companies.
Although the healthcare reform is relatively more successful in expanding its enrollment to over 95% of the Chinese population, it has made little progress on the part of public hospital reform, the core of healthcare reform, other than some superficial issues.
The deadlock with reform of the Chinese healthcare financing mechanism and public hospitals is also blocking progresses in many other reform areas. Over-emphasis on price bidding by local governments has become a critical issue for provincial-level drug purchase tenders, especially those for essential drugs, and the aftermath is alarming with drug quality freefalling and shortage of low-cost medicines surging. Besides, reputable large companies, both state-owned and foreign, are losing grounds to smaller and often irregular players on a considerable scale.
Drug pricing reform is also stuck, and under mounting public pressure, the NDRC had to initiate more sweeping price cuts, as disputes among stakeholders and government agencies continue to prevent it from coming up with a well-defined drug pricing reform framework.
Despite wide-ranging problems, the Chinese government did manage to raise its healthcare funding for both BMI programs. As a result, China's healthcare expenditure composition is undergoing major changes with falling share of personal out-of-pocket expenditures and rising shares of government expenditures and socialized expenditures.
A new Chinese government set to take over after the 18th CPC Congress this November and Executive Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who has been in charge of healthcare reform now, is presumed to take over Premier Wen Jiabao, so the overall direction of Chinese healthcare reform is expected to stay on course.
The Pharma China Annual Forum 2012 is an English language annual pharma industry event oriented for foreign drug companies in China. The event's emphasis is on healthcare policies, drug regulations, market access issues as well as potential impacts of upcoming changes on the Chinese pharma industry. In addition, various trends in M&A and industry consolidation, R&D and licensing, dynamics of the Chinese healthcare landscape, as well as future market outlook will be explored and discussed.
At least ten leading experts, together with their guests and partners, will share their knowledge, insights and expertise in contemporary market trends, healthcare reform and policy direction, drug regulation and IP/legal issues. The presentation will be followed by an interactive panel discussion with speakers and other experts.
Registration
Spaces are limited to 80 participants and priority is given to Pharma China subscribers. Please contact:
David Xue
Tel: +86 10 8530-0937 Cell: +86 18601267831
Fax: +86 10 5885-7333 ext. 0260
Email: dxue@pharmaguys.com
Jenny Wang
Tel: +86 10 8447-6010