China seen as fertile land for pharma firms

Astellas exec highlights nation's massive consumer base and strong IP protection

China's massive consumer base, strengthened intellectual property protection, and enhanced innovation climate are converging to foster a fertile landscape for pharmaceutical companies to bring their cutting-edge drugs to the market, said a senior executive of a multinational pharmaceutical company.

What sets China apart from many other markets, to begin with, is the sheer scale of its consumer base. With the world's second-largest population, China represents a super-sized opportunity for the pharma sector, said Claus Zieler, chief commercial officer of Tokyo-headquartered Astellas.

This massive demand pool is further enhanced by the shifting dynamic in the country's demographic, Zieler said, adding that an aging population comes with rising needs for innovative medicine.