Just Released: "Malaysia Pharmaceuticals Competitive Intelligence Report Q4 2010"

Nov. 25, 2010 - PRLog -- The local industry remains focused on the production of generics and lower-tech medicines. The local drug industry is dominated by one company, Pharmaniaga, which controls around 30% of the total market. In the future, domestic sector development is likely to remain centred on the operations of the industry's larger producers, as these look to benefit from the onset of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) harmonisation, which has brought marked growth in the private sector and opened up export markets. The modernisation of the sector is also likely to see many smaller drug companies disappear as a result of the tightening of regulations, with the costs of the required upgrading being a major problem.

Pharmaniaga had a turbulent start to 2010. Following the February release of financial results that BMI described as 'disappointing', the company's manufacturing licence has been revoked by the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health as of March 2010, following a routine audit of Pharmaniaga's Bangi plant. Inspectors found 'a few' non-compliance issues, according to the firm's Managing Director Mohammed Abdullah, who believed that the problems could be rectified within a week and ministry officials would return 'very soon'. Abdullah added that if the facility shutdown exceeds seven days, customers would be affected. BMI notes that medicine manufacturing is the company's most profitable division. The firm's majority shareholder, UEM Group Berhad, has subsequently failed to deny claims that it plans to divest its interest in Pharmaniaga. In fact, in June 2010, its share (more than 86% of Pharmaniaga's total stock) was sold to Boustead Holdings Bhd.

Despite these setbacks, the outlook for Pharmaniaga is positive. According to Edge Malaysia, sources suggest that the pharmaceutical company has retained its lucrative 10-year concession for the provision of generic drugs to the Malaysian government. This deal - for 10 years starting in December 2009 - will provide a steady revenue stream and allow Pharmaniaga to increasingly explore growth strategies, such as ramping-up exports to neighbouring countries and producing higher-value medicines.

At the end of 2007, there were approximately 235 GMP-compliant manufacturers in Malaysia licensed by the DCA, some of which act as sales agents for international pharmaceutical companies. Around 30 are licensed to manufacture prescription medicines, while the rest produce OTC medicines. Some 140 manufacturers are licensed to produce traditional and herbal medicines, with such products integrated into the mainstream healthcare system. Malaysian companies' market share rose to 20-30% in recent years, in comparison with the 1995 figures of only 10-15%.

In January 2009, the health ministry of China allowed the importation of medicines from Malaysia that had been certified by the Malaysian government. Malaysia's membership of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation/Scheme (PIC/S) puts local manufacturers in a good position to export to developed markets.

In June 2010, Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai was reported by The Star Online as saying that the healthcare industry has the potential to contribute MYR10bn (US$3.09bn) to the country's economy by 2020, if it focuses on the areas of pharmaceuticals, the production of medical equipment, health tourism and specialists' training. The ministry said healthcare services currently contribute only MYR4bn (US$1.23bn). One of the steps will include the production of higher quality generic drugs for export.

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-  http://www.fastmr.com/prod/94306_malaysia_pharmaceuticals...

Report Table of Contents:

Competitive Landscape Analysis
- Domestic Pharmaceutical Industry
- Foreign Pharmaceutical Industry
- Pharmaceutical Demand
- Recent Company Activities
- Halal Medicine
- Traditional Medicine
- Table: Leading Malaysian Pharmaceutical And Healthcare Companies
Company Profiles
- Leading Indigenous Manufacturers
- Pharmaniaga
- Prime Pharmaceutical
- Bumimedic Sdn. Bhd.
- Hovid
- Chemical Company of Malaysia (CCM)
- Kotra Pharma
- Multinational Companies
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
- Pfizer
- Novartis
- Merck & Co
- Sanofi-Aventis
- Ranbaxy Malaysia
Market Attractiveness Analysis
- Market Summary
- Regulatory Development
SWOT Analysis
- Nigeria Mobile SWOT
Risk/Reward Rating
- Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings
- Table: Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings For Q410
Business Development Directory

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Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.