AZN.L - china

Some encouraging news about AZN in Chinese and emerging markets in this article :

David Brenna, CEO of AZN, said recently that he hopes 25pc of AZN's revenues will come from emerging markets, compared with 13pc least year.  According to the article, "China is also a marketplace where mature medicines such as Losec can still generate sales long after patent expiration, unlike in Western countries, where generic medicines soon erode revenues. Losec, an anti-ulcer drug, saw a 45pc increase in sales in China in the first three months of this year despite losing its patent 10 years ago.  ... One of the biggest opportunities for drug makers in China, however, is the government's $125bn healthcare reform plan, which is set to overhaul the country's health infrastructure, improve healthcare in rural areas and extend healthcare coverage to almost the entire population. ... Yin says that while AstraZeneca is supportive of the government's move to improve healthcare, there are challenges in capitalising on the increased investment, not least the question of how to get basic medicines to the 1bn people who will rely on government funding rather than paying for their own healthcare insurance."