Pharmaceutical Industry Examines China R&D Strategy Amidst Financial Crisis
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
In the face of sliding profit margins and imminent drug patent expiry, multinational drug firms are seeking different avenues such as investing in or buying biotech firms to acquire new drugs. Sanofi-Aventis does not discount such possibilities but advocates collaboration as a better model to retain talent and technology. The company recently established a partnership with the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences (PharmAsia News Oct. 23, 2008) to cooperate with local academic institutes instead of setting up its own R&D center. According to Sanofi officials, the firm's R&D investment this year will be flat or even decrease slightly. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)