With a recovery underway in its U.S. business, India’s Mumbai-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., is scouting for a partner in China, where the government aims to drive down the cost of healthcare.
China has rolled out a bulk drug procurement program that’s driving down prices and providing an opening for Indian manufacturers to compete. The country is importing more drugs, reimbursing for more, and speeding up approvals of new medicines to ensure they reach patients faster.
Sun Pharma’s founder Dilip Shanghvi told Bloomberg News’ editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, “There is a big opportunity for us. We see enormous interest in China for products that we have global rights for.” According to Shanghvi, the company will scale up its China business in six to nine months.