Don't be misguided by dated reports discounting the impact Indian and Chinese scientists are having in drug development and other key technologies, says a new study from Duke and Harvard. Looking at recent data, research teams from those two countries have swiftly expanded their work in the field. A look at 2006 data shows a four-fold increase in the number of patents filed since 1995. And pharma giants like Merck, Lilly and J&J have been shifting research and manufacturing to India and China as they seek new ways to develop drugs on a lean budget, pushing a new wave of globalization.
"Driven by cost pressures and growth opportunities, they are partnering with firms there to do sophisticated drug research and clinical testing," writes Vivek Wadhwa in BusinessWeek. "Indian and Chinese companies are making strides in the segments of global value chains that are most lucrative. They are also now performing their own drug discovery with the hope of marketing new products through their multinational partners."
- read the article from BusinessWeek