Tough challenges in China's OTC market

Multinational drugmakers looking to expand into the rapidly-growing Chinese over-the-counter medicines market are facing significant cultural and geographic challenges in this emerging sector, according to business consultant Kline & Co, which plans to publish two new studies aiming to help them identify the best strategy to capitalize on opportunities in this booming marketplace.

Titled: Nonprescription Drugs China, the first will measure the overall marketplace in terms of size, segmentation, and total sales potential; highlight new product and retail trends; and provide a detailed regulatory overview that will include intellectual property issues and Rx-to-OTC switches, says Kline. The second, Competitive Intelligence in Emerging OTC Markets in China will offer in-depth profiles of MNCs and domestic producers, as well as case studies of MNCs that have entered the market, both successfully and unsuccessfully, it adds.

Market will grow to $10B by 2010