Meiji Seika aims to boost Chinese sales

Japanese drugmaker Meiji Seika Kaisha aims to increase its drug sales in China more than 10 times current rates to hit 10.0 billion yen ($96.0 million) by 2009 by producing antibiotics materials at a new factory from April, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Meiji Lukang Pharmaceutical, of which Meiji Seika holds 50.0%, has invested more than 3.0 billion yen to build a factory in Jining in Shandong Province, according to the newspaper, which noted that the plant will produce materials used in prescription drugs and antibiotics for animals. Sales are targeted at 1.5 billion yen in the first year.

Meiji Seika also plans to increase its marketing staff at its sales and production subsidiary Shantou Meiji from the current 40 to 70 this year, the newspaper said. While the division focuses on five product areas, including cancer treatments and antibiotics, it plans to expand into selling disinfectants and over-the-counter medicines and to expand its marketing staff by about 30 per year.