Health Technology Innovation by Enterprises in China, India and Brazil

This thesis explores health technology innovation within indigenous enterprises in China, India, and Brazil. The main discussions are presented in five papers/manuscripts. The first is a case study of Brazil’s health biotechnology sector. It concludes that systemic tensions between the country’s public and private sectors may be detracting from its overall innovative success. The second paper gauges vaccine and medicinal innovation within enterprises in the stated countries by analyzing new technologies in their pipelines or on the market. It concludes that that a growing number of health enterprises in these countries are tackling more technologically challenging and costly innovations. The third paper explores how national institutions and industry globalization interact to shape commitments to new drug and vaccine innovations by enterprises in the three countries. It concludes that; a) the introduction of pharmaceutical product patent regimes has had a modest impact on entrepreneurial attempts to develop new technologies, b) key challenges that diminish patent incentives tend to be institutional in nature and, c) the increasingly globalized nature of health product innovation limits what countries can achieve independently. The fourth paper analyzes key issues and trends in health biotechnology firms’ transition to innovation in China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. It concludes that this transition often entails greater integration into the global system. The fifth paper ponders the implications for global health of the emerging market firms’ transition to innovation. It concludes that these enterprises have the potential to simultaneously address global health needs while exploiting global markets, provided support mechanisms are put in place to enable product development for the poorest market segments. This research suggests that to succeed in biopharmaceutical innovation, nations need to adjust scientifically, sectorally and globally all at the same time. Also, that national governments and the global health community need to enhance engagement of emerging market enterprises in related efforts.