Outlook for 8 pharma markets in Southeast Asia ' with value of $23.1 billion

The emerging pharmaceutical markets of South East Asia are developing at markedly different speeds. Despite the negative impact of the global recession, the eight markets of the region have a pharmaceutical market value of $23.1 billion in 2009, and are expected to continue to grow, according to a new report from Espicom Business Intelligence.

South Korea and Taiwan are maturing with improved intellectual property (IP) standards and growing importance in pharmaceutical trade. For example, in January 2009, the US Trade Representative removed Taiwan from its Special 301 Watch List of countries, attributing the move to the country's progress on protection and enforcement of IP rights. It is a marked difference compared to when the USTR described the country as a haven for pirates in 2001, the year it was first placed on the list.

At the other end of the scale, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are introducing protectionist measures and tighter regulation on international pharmaceutical companies. For example, in a recent development which has tarnished the attractiveness of the Indonesian market for foreign drug companies, the Ministry of Health has introduced rules requiring drug companies to have production facilities in the country, in order to get licences to sell their products in Indonesia.