Event: Pharma China Seminar 2012 - Building Success in China's Pharma Sector
Date: May 3, 2012
Venue: Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, New Jersey, USA
Contact: Kelly Yueh
Tel: +1 212 228 7974 or +1 713 398 6888
Email: kelly@pharmachinaseminar.com or info@pharmachinaseminar.com
Weblink: www.pharmachinaseminar.com

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 18^th 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.

Despite growing challenges on the ground in China, there are success stories from all categories of players, whether they are foreign or local, large or small, newcomer or established, private or state-owned. However, to be one of the success stories require a thorough understanding of the sector, ability to face and tackle challenges, flexibility to deal with changes, and skills to maneuver through complex situations.

To cater for the growing needs of headquarter pharmaceutical executives for better understanding of the Chinese market, the Seminar was launched in 2009 by Pharma China, the most influential English media and source of business intelligence covering the Chinese pharmaceutical / biopharmaceutical industry and market and AmIntell, the organizer of Pharma CI Conference and Pharma Market Research Conference.

"Pharma China Seminar - Building Success in China's Pharma Sector" is a one-day seminar providing insights into contemporary trends/issues and the most important aspects of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and marketplace today.

On the basis of our successful experience with the event in the past three years, Pharma China Seminar 2012 will refocus its agenda to provide more in-depth coverage of and strategic insights into four key aspects of Chinese pharma business including 1) latest trends and issues in drug regulation and healthcare policies; 2) impacts of deepening healthcare reform on the pharmaceutical industry, marketplace and business models of MNCs; 3) changing dynamics in pharma marketing & distribution channels; 4) M&A trends and diversification drive of pharma companies; 5) R&D, partnership and licensing trends & strategies; 6) dynamic healthcare and disease trends; and 7) emerging IP/legal issues.

At least eight leading experts of the Chinese pharmaceutical/healthcare sector with different specialization will share their expertise and knowledge through exclusive data, detailed analysis, case studies and interactive panel discussions.

Who should attend?

- Senior executives
- Strategic planning/business development/CI/market research executives
- Executives responsible for outsourcing
- R&D/licensing/regulatory executives
- Regional HQ executives
- Expatriate executives in China
- CRO executives
- Investment/VC professionals

Why should you attend?

- Learn about the present state and future outlook of the Chinese pharma industry and marketplace
- Identify emerging opportunity areas and growth drivers
- Examine major intellectual property issues and legal risks
- Stay informed for the latest developments in Chinese drug regulation and healthcare policy
- Gain insights into key aspects of Chinese pharma business
- Brainstorm successful China business strategies

What does the seminar cover?

- Contemporary trends, issues and challenges
- Future growth drivers, opportunities and outlook
- Healthcare reform and impacts on pharma sector
- Intellectual property/patent related issues
- Pricing and reimbursement/health insurance system
- Pharmaceutical marketing and distribution channel strategies
- Regulatory process for new drug development and registration
- Considerations for developing successful China business strategies
- Rising global importance of China – sourcing and licensing opportunities

For registration and information, please contact: Kelly Yueh
Tel: +1 212 228 7974 or +1 713 398 6888
Email: kelly@pharmachinaseminar.com or info@pharmachinaseminar.com