Global Perspectives

Novartis AG and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation have been focusing research efforts on rare diseases since the company was established in 1996.

Russia is aiming to provide an alternative to China and India for drug manufacturing, including APIs.

AAPS Global Health Focus Group's Kishor M. Wasan discusses new initiatives.

In an effort to balance bilateral trade, India is urging China to increase Indian pharmaceutical imports.

Electronic prescribing has grown strongly in the US but its future as a European-wide approach in healthcare has been uncertain; new regulatory interest could change the playing field.

Growth and change in Brazil and Mexico offer key opportunities for the region's pharmaceutical industry.

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations takes global action to improve public health.

NIH leads new international consortium to develop a diagnostic tool for most known rare diseases by the year 2020.

Contract manufacturing organizations throughout Asia are increasing their capabilities to meet market demand and attract foreign investment and partnerships.

Croatia is on track to join the EU in 2013 and offers a well-developed pharmaceutical market. However, its EU membership application has undergone much scrutiny.

GSK Works in Developing Nations to Improve Everything from Research to Roads.

Member states in the EU are working to implement the newly passed Falsified Medicines Directive.

Switzerland is an important power in Europe's pharmaceutical industry.

A Focus on Creative Strategies to Help the Developing World.

India's drug pricing authority increased the retail costs of certain domestically manufactured drugs, but not those of imported drug products. Pharma is asking why.

The greatest challenge faced by the EMA is the continuing expansion of the EU.

Eastern Europe's pharmaceutical leader, Hungary, is working to maintain its number-one status while also pursuing new avenues, especially in biopharmaceuticals.

Efforts are made to educate health workers in less developed countries.

Despite initiatives to encourage multinational pharma companies to conduct R&D in the UK, the country may be losing its edge; is Pfizer's decision to exit a key site earlier this year the beginning of a mass exodus?

PRTM helps to improve supply-chain management and logistics in developing countries.

The contract-research industry in China is growing in leaps and bounds, and Big Pharma is leading the way.

Europe's approach to pharmacovigilance has room for improvement that European agencies are working on.

In France, public confidence in health authorities and pharmaceutical industry has been shaken by a safety scandal over the drug Mediator (benfluorex hydrochloride).

Brazil develops its first national plasma fractionation plant.

FDA's efforts to improve access to treatments for rare diseases.

The recent India–EU summit was expected to bring news about the upcoming Free Trade Agreement between the EU and India; however, a dispute regarding the supply of generic drugs from India to developing countries has taken centre stage.

As biologic-drug patents move toward expiration in the US, Indian firms with experience in the follow-on biologics arena are eager to partner with global manufacturers and secure their place in the growing biosimilars market.

USP helps to improve drug quality in 32 countries.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is firmly entrenched in the US, but has historically been considered as an inappropriate means of communication in Europe for prescription-only medicines.

The Global Health Progress collaboration works to improve healthcare delivery in the developing world.