We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
In a bid to stabilise prices, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has
announced that beginning in 2006, drug prices in the country will be pegged
against the US dollar.
According to Japan's health ministry, the country's drug spending
as a percentage of medical fees fell slightly in 2004, despite a rise in the
volume of prescription drugs consumed.
Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals has inked a marketing alliance with Mayne
Pharma, an Australian company, to market selected life-saving injectable antibiotic
formulations.
Astellas Pharma Inc. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan, President & CEO: Toichi
Takenaka, "Astellas") and MerLion Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd ("MerLion")
of Singapore today announced the signature of a collaborative agreement to discover
and develop new drug candidates derived from natural products chemistry.
Allergan Inc. (AGN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it has licensed
exclusive rights to sell its Botox anti-wrinkle drug in Japan and China to GlaxoSmithKline
Plc (GSK.N: Quote, Profile, Research). Allergan said that under the same deal,
it will co-market two Glaxo migraine drugs -- injectable Imitrex and Amerge
tablets -- in the United States for five years.
Officials in Saudi Arabia are calling for the country to liberalise
the licensing of private health insurers. It is estimated that such measures
could cut annual government health spending by as much as SAR6bn (US$1.6bn),
an increasingly attractive option in light of the country's rapidly rising population
and growing dependence on imported, high-cost treatments.