With its large population, one-child policy and increasing emphasis on preventative care, China is poised for a vaccine boom. The catalyst for growth may come from the expected modernization of the country’s massive national immunization program.

Biopharma financing totaled $3.7 billion in Q1 2012, $1 billion more than the previous quarter. A total of 22 M&As – with a potential value of $9.28 billion – were completed. Acquisitions of private biotechs structured with earn-outs were a highlight. About a quarter of the alliances involved Big Pharmas, with GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis taking the lead.

Merck is including its vaccine distribution partner Chongqing Zhifei in its development plan for at least two vaccines in China, while global firms regain a footing after new standards in the Chinese Pharmacopeia stilted their market growth.

Merck is including its vaccine distribution partner Chongqing Zhifei in its development plan for at least two vaccines in China, while global firms regain a footing after new standards in the Chinese Pharmacopeia stilted their market growth.