http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Insight RSS Feed from Business Monitor International en Copyright 2013, Business Monitor International Ltd Sat, 14 Sep 2013 06:30 GMT Sat, 14 Sep 2013 06:30 GMT AFP RSS Generator Jordan is perceived to be a modestly attractive market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The country ranks 12th out of the 30 markets surveyed in BMI's Risk-Reward Rating Index, which rates countries according to their pharmaceutical investment attractiveness. Issues of concern to investors include Jordan's small-sized, relatively young population, with its preference for generic products. However, opportunities are available to multinational drugmakers as the country remains dependent on high-value medicine imports and patented drug consumption hovers between 35-40% of total medicines consumption over the next decade. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164252/Pharmaceutical-Market-Forecast-Revised.html Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:00 GMT BMI View: The Saudi Arabian Health Ministry's zero tolerance stance on non-compliance to pharmaceutical regulations will be well received by multinationals. However, BMI highlights the underlying circulation of unregistered medicines and uninhibited prescription drug dispensing habits as risks to our outlook for the chronic medicines market, and a threat to accurate sales figures of newly launched products. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164251/More-Stringent-Regulation-Required.html Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are currently the most attractive to multinationals launching new products in the Middle East and Africa. In addition to intellectual property protection deficiencies, the key risk to maximising profits in the region is volatile, government-imposed medicine pricing regimes. In BMI's Pharmaceutical Risk /Reward Rating Matrix, Saudi Arabia and Oman rank as our favourite and least favourite markets respectively in the region. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164250/GCC-Pharmaceutical-Markets-Outshine-MEA-Neighbours.html Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT African countries offer significant revenue-generating opportunities for drugmakers over the long term, as their developing economies will yield growing middle class populations, urbanisation and increased private consumption of medicines. However, we are cautious on the grounds of political instability in North Africa and the prevalence of counterfeit medicines in the East African Community due to its geographical proximity to China and India. These pose risks to UAE drugmaker Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar)'s revenue maximisation opportunities. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164249/Africa-May-Resolve-Julphars-Revenue-Volatility.html Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT BMI View: The US government's decision to broaden the country's medical device export portfolio to Iran will not have a positive effect on improving the latter's healthcare accessibility in the short term. Medicine and medical device volume shortages will continue to persist based on local currency weakness, inventory pile-up of medicines and sanctions on the financial sector. Rapid depreciation of the local currency makes foreign goods more expensive to import and is indicative of the lack of foreign currency reserves in the country. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164248/US-Broadens-Medical-Device-Export-Portfolio.html Fri, 09 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT Obtaining a return on investment in Côte d'Ivoire's pharmaceutical market is a challenging undertaking. Long-standing political instability, an unfavourable business environment and poor availability of utilities are significant risks to operating a medicines production facility. In addition, as the markets of Nigeria and Ghana become increasingly competitive and their governments look to reduce import reliance, these countries will lose their attractiveness as export markets for drugmakers in Côte d'Ivoire. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164247/Challenges-Ahead-For-Saudi-Arabian-South-Korean-Joint-Venture.html Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT We hold a positive outlook on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria's growth trajectory over the long term, based on high local demand for over-the-counter medicines, growing demand for generic drugs, and the country's growing and ageing population. GSK Nigeria currently contributes only 0.3% to the multinational's annual global sales, and thus presents much opportunity for growth and expansion. However, we highlight GSK recently dropped a scheme to increase its stake in GSK Consumer Nigeria, following opposition from minority shareholders. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164246/GlaxoSmithKline--Nigeria.html Mon, 12 Aug 2013 00:00 GMT The desire of the government of Oman to contain costs in the medicines sector will be reflected in a change in the source of the country's finished pharmaceutical imports. Currently, despite strict price controls, multinationals in the UK, Germany and Switzerland are benefiting from the Middle Eastern country's preference for patented medicines. However, as demand for medicines and healthcare rapidly increases government encouragement of cheaper generic drug uptake will be positive for generic drugmakers based in existing imports partner countries, primarily Jordan (Hikma Pharmaceuticals) and the UAE (Julphar). http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/164245/Pharmaceutical-Trade-Forecast-Revised.html Mon, 15 Jul 2013 00:00 GMT BMI View: The business environment in Zimbabwe has been made extremely challenging and uncompetitive for local drugmakers. This is a result of high active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) import duties, poor production capabilities and government encouragement of finished drug imports. Despite the potential for revenue to be obtained from limited exports, BMI believes that the local pharmaceutical industry will dissolve if the government does not overhaul its policy towards the domestic industry. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163049/Local-Industry-On-Verge-Of-Dissolution.html Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT Interactions and acquisitions between Aspen Pharmacare and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have resulted in Aspen continually expanding its international presence. BMI believes increasing its global presence will be the key driver of the company's future revenue growth, as the South African generic drug industry becomes more competitive and Aspen struggles to maintain its market share. We also highlight that further currency depreciation of the South African rand in 2013 and 2014 means that Aspen's overseas revenue, repatriated back to South Africa, will have an increasingly high local currency value. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163050/Aspen-And-GSK-Continue-To-Partner.html Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT BMI View: NRB Pharma's foreign investment in Zambia, in the form of constructing two manufacturing plants producing HIV-AIDS drugs, will have a long-term negative impact on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugmakers in South Africa - currently one of Zambia's key medicine import partners. If successful in Zambia, we expect to see NRB Pharma expand its presence to South Africa, tapping into the large HIV-AIDS burden and competing for local ARV tenders. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163048/Indian-Company-Invests-To-Manufacture-ARVs.html Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT The UAE's private healthcare market offers investors a low-risk, high-potential return on investment. Although the market currently represents 25% of total healthcare spending, we hold a very positive growth outlook for the sector. This growth is underpinned by future stakeholder movements favouring the private sector as a consequence of the country's future demographic and epidemiological profile. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163047/Investment-In-Private-Healthcare-Is-Low-Risk.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT The increase to the Egyptian government's healthcare and medicines budget for fiscal-year 2013-2014 is unlikely to yield significant growth in the volume of medicines in the market in the short-term. Further currency depreciation in 2013 and high pharmaceutical and consumer price inflation over the next two years will continue to reduce medicines purchasing power for the public and private sectors. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163046/Government-Increases-Healthcare-Budget.html Mon, 24 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT Nigeria's import reliance on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is set to remain around at 80% over the next decade. This will ensure the country can meet rising demand for medicines and avoid a shortage; which would happen if local drugmakers did not have access to these raw materials. Whilst this is ongoing, we expect the government to continue to encourage foreign direct investment in the API and finished pharmaceutical product sectors in order to boost the local industry and gradually reduce import reliance. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163045/Balancing-Import-Reliance-And-Self-Sufficiency.html Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT Poor supply chain management of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs in South Africa is a substantial obstacle to tackling the HIV/AIDS burden. South Africa currently has the highest HIV/AIDS burden in Sub-Saharan Africa, a problem that threatens the country's long-term economic development. We view the current ARV shortages as an opportunity for the government to improve the medicines procurement process - and should not be addressed by bypassing provincial depots. Such a short-term solution is unlikely to hold up against the growing HIV/AIDS burden. http://www.pharmaceuticalsinsight.com/file/163044/HIV-AIDS-Medicine-Access-Is-Badly-Managed.html Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00 GMT