Foreign Companies Expand Chinese Operations

16 September 1997

Swedish group Astra is the latest foreign drugs company to step up itsactivities in China, following the decision to build a new plant in Wuxi to manufacture its best-selling antiulcerant Losec (omeprazole), as well as Bricanyl (terbutaline sulphate) and Seloken (metopropol tartrate). The company, which set up its first plant - Wuxi Astra - in 1994, has sales in China currently running at around the $40 million mark, and expects turnover to reach $133 million by 2000.

Meanwhile, Japanese firm Eisai has started construction of a drug production facility in Suzhou at an estimated cost of $15 million. The plant will produce the metabolic cardiotinic agent Neuquinon (ubidecarenone) and the peripheral neuropathy drug Methycobal (mecobalamin).

Another foreign company investing in China is Ilsa of the Netherlands, which is to set up a drug production unit at Anlu in Hubei province after reaching agreement on the project with local authorities. The new venture, to be called Anlu Pan Asia Pharmaceutical, will process gingko products. It is estimated that production will rise to 10 tons annually, with total investment of about $2 million.

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