02-Feb-15 A group of Indian healthcare operators, including Manipal Hospitals, Narayana Health and Pfizer, have got together with an investor to provide up to USD1.6 million in grants and investments to early-stage startups that seek to enhance access to affordable technology-driven healthcare products and services for the low-income population in India. [image: The Times of India]

01-Feb-15 Brazil has plans to engage a medtech company to improve cardiology in state-sponsored hospitals. Medtronic sees an opportunity post-acquisition of Covidien, and plans to position itself as an entire cabinet supplier for cardiac surgery. "We feel you need to be bigger if you really want to be on the speed dial of the president of Brazil" a spokesperson said. [image: StarTribune/Bloomberg, Ariana Lindquist].

01-Feb-15 Over ten years the Global Fund initiative in China has successfully addressed several major public health problems. Access to diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis expanded from two pilot projects in 2006 to 92 sites in 30 provinces by 2013. Between 2002 and 2012 the number of malaria cases fell from over 100,000 to less than 5,000. Finally, China's rate of HIV infection was stabilised at 0.06%. [image: Snipview]

31-Jan-15 Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical will invest $476 million over the next seven years to expand its research institute in Singapore. The investment will make its centre at Biopolis one of the biggest pharmaceutical research and development operations in Singapore. It will also boost its "local employee base and antibody research and development pipeline", the company said. [image: Reuters]

31-Jan-15 India has a huge demand for healthcare and consequently for medical devices and equipment. However, setting up a distribution network for selling equipment in India is no mean task. There are very few distributors with full nationwide coverage. Manufacturers need to forge multiple relationships to establish a pan-India network, and must also be aware of pitfalls such as non-performing exclusive partners, unethical practices and the difficulties of providing after-sales service. [image: Euro Kerala Tour]