Decoding big pharmas’ next move in a more complex China

By Wang Fangqing

Big pharmas are not deterred by China’s increasingly complex business environment. Instead, they are changing strategies to minimize risks while continuing to benefit from China, said speakers at ChinaTrials held last week in Shanghai.

“Big pharmas used to focus on commercial strategies in China, but now they are looking into holistic strategies that would cover R&D and manufacturing for China and global,” said Fangqing Zhang, a Shanghai-based partner at McKinsey. For example, many MNCs are trying to find ways to benefit from China’s fast improving capabilities in R&D.