AstraZeneca VP Detlev Biniszkiewicz On Building An Oncology Strategy In China And Asia

31 Jan 2012

• By Joshua Berlin

Fresh off a global deal to in-license a novel oncology molecule discovered in China, the head of strategy for AZ’s Oncology Innovative Medicine Unit speaks with PharmAsia News during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference about how AstraZeneca’s strategy in Asia differs from its peers.

SAN FRANCISCO – AstraZeneca PLC, like many of its peers, is looking to Asia, particularly China, for new growth opportunities as it wades through the patent cliff, European austerity measures and a plethora of challenges to the bottom line. The U.K. company, which ranks second behind Pfizer Inc. in China’s highly fragmented pharmaceutical market, has focused on a mix of branded generics and innovative medicines to capture the opportunity.

In December, for instance, AZ bought a Chinese generics injectable manufacturer – just one day after it announced layoffs to...