Eight drugs from foreign multinationals, including Amgen’s Rapatha, Takeda’s Takecab, Sanofi’s Aubagio and UCB’s Cimzia, are among 12 products awarded priority new drug approval reviews in China under a scheme to speed up approvals and patient access that is also benefiting some domestic players.

Takeda’s recent revelation that it had set aside around $450m for a planned M&A transaction in an undisclosed emerging market has triggered speculation about where and how the company might spend its money. Might China be in the mix?

Takeda tantalizingly disclosed during its third quarter results that it has set aside funds for an acquisition worth around $450m in an undisclosed emerging market. What are the likely targets?

Balanced scorecards, big data, and platform strategies are among the new tools being employed by pharma companies ramping up compliance and lowering risks in China, where market access remains challenging and pricing pressures persistent. Such commercial model innovation should also improve physician interaction while providing new medical solutions, said executives at a recent RDPAC gathering in Beijing.