HONG KONG – Laboring under the burden of a new wave of COVID-19 infections that have raised its case total to 15.3 million, second only to the U.S., India is ramping up its vaccination efforts by opening up COVID-19 vaccine availability to citizens 18 years or older from May 1, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, ensuring a steady vaccine supply for the world's second most populous country, with nearly 1.4 billion people, might prove to be an issue. So far, India has administered just over 124 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Speaking during the 2021 China Pharmaceutical Innovation 100 Summit, industry insiders called for more regulatory talent and even an organizational revamp to clear innovative products faster and support the global development strategies of Chinese drugmakers.

SHANGHAI – China’s regulatory environment has evolved to encourage drug innovation, but despite remarkable progress, mounting pricing pressure from the government and a weak insurance sector remain as barriers.