The Chinese government has been instrumental in attracting multinational drug firms to the country for R&D. In 2008, as part of the 11th Five-Year Plan, the government initiated the $960 million New Drug Creation and Development Program to assist Chinese pharmaceutical R&D. Universities and institutes’ research collaborations with multinational drug companies are among the recipients of Program grants. Roche, Sanofi-Aventis and Johnson & Johnson are currently involved in such collaborations. The collaboration agreements specify research topics and outcomes, and include shared intellectual property. As a result of the collaborations, Chinese institutes gain expertise in drug-development management from foreign companies, and foreign drug firms gain access to a knowledgeable workforce, including scientists who have returned home after working in the West. China’s three-year, $124 billion plan to improve national health care, which began in April 2009, is also creating opportunities in the country for multinational drug firms by increasing the availability of drugs and by building infrastructure.

Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery