China's Second Tier Cities May Provide Medical Market Opportunities, Kalorama Reports

New York, October 19, 2011--Companies marketing pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic products may find the best growth opportunities in China's second tier cities, according to a recently released Kalorama Information report:

China Healthcare Reform and Its Impact on IVD, Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Markets

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Kalorama notes that the percentage of Chinese residing in urban healthcare markets rose from 36% to 50% between 2000 and 2010. While major urban healthcare markets - concentrated around metropolises like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing and Guangzhou - have long featured high demand for a range of pharmaceutical and medical devices, pronounced urbanization throughout China has nurtured demand in second-tier cities along China’s coastal provinces, and also in the middle and western half of the country. Economic development in Chinese cities and urban migration continue to bolster the urban healthcare market. Rural residents are also apt to pursue specialty outpatient and inpatient care at city hospitals.

According to Kalorama Information, the 2010 urban healthcare market in China (including Hong Kong) was over three times the size of the rural healthcare market with a volume of approximately 1.24 trillion yuan (~$183.2 billion). Even with its apparent priorities in improving rural healthcare, the Chinese government must manage and fund more diversified and expensive urban healthcare systems that are equally beset by challenges in coverage. Recently expanded national health plans provided over five times more total reimbursements to urban enrollees than to rural enrollees, according to Kalorama.

In its market research report, Kalorama also identifies key urban healthcare markets by region.

"Cities like Chengdu, Chongqing in West China; and Zhengzhou and Wuhan in Central China are already the beneficiaries of MNC R&D investment," said analyst Emil Salazar, "but are also targets for medical product sales and ideal hubs for provincial and regional distribution networks for pharmaceuticals, IVD reagents and other medical supplies." Among other findings from Kalorama's report, the provinces of Southwestern and Central China are projected to see the greatest market growth for pharmaceuticals and medical devices over the next four years with strong demand out of their emerging regional metropolises.

The full report from Kalorama Information,

China Healthcare Reform and Its Impact on IVD, Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Markets

, includes breakdowns of the IVD, pharmaceutical and medical device markets by region with figures from 2004 to 2015.

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