China to become world's third-largest pharmaceutical market next year, IMS forecasts, as 'Pharmerging' regions fuel growth

The 17 high-growth pharmaceutical markets are now ranked as 'Pharmerging,' up from seven currently, reflect an unprecedented shift of industry growth to the world's emerging economies, according to a new report from IMS Health.

IMS' 'Pharmerging Shake-Up: New Imperatives in a Redefined World,' predicts that these 17 countries will in aggregate expand by $90 billion during 2009-13 and contribute 48% of annual market growth in 2013 - up from 37% last year, when those countries accounted for $123 billion, or around 16% of more than $770 billion in global pharmaceutical sales. Significant changes in the global economic and health care landscape - including rising levels of health care access and funding - and the changing mix of generic and innovative products have contributed to the ongoing market realignment, says IMS.

Seeing new world order