Drugs for the Masses : The Chinese Pharmaceutical Sector

The pharmaceutical sector in China is an attractiveprospect. According to China´s National Bureauof Statistics, the number of individuals participatingin a basic medical care system increasedfrom slightly below 18 million peoplein 1997, to more than 94 million in 2002. Yet alarge potential customer base alone does notguarantee an attractive market. Four main factorsmake the pharmaceutical market in Chinaattractive to foreign firms. In combination,these factors have helped to transform the Chinesepharmaceutical market into one that is ledby multinational companies..