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    Case Study

    Cephalosporin wars in China: Competing in the Chinese antibiotic market

    By Gail E. Hendersen and William A. Fischer
    21 pages
    July 2000
    Order this case study
    Reference: IMD-3-0947

    After twenty years of economic reforms, the Chinese competitive terrain is in upheaval. New competitors, new markets, and new means of competition, are all conspiring to change the nature of doing in business in China, in a fundamental way. This case chronicles the experience of one industry segment – cephalosporins – over the past few years. Cephalosporins are a type of anti-biotics that are now in their fourth generation of product development. They have been in China for more than twenty years, and are an example of intense competition among both foreign-invested, and Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers. Almost all of the major international brand names are presently represented in the Chinese market, as well as a host of both successful and not-so successful domestic competitors. This case, based on interviews with many of these firms, as well as an abundance of market data collected from several sources, depicts the changing nature of competition in China today, and provides the reader with sufficient information to draw conclusions regarding market attractiveness and market-entry and competitiveness strategies.

    Keywords
    Industry Analysis, Pharmaceuticals
    Settings
    China
    1998-1999
    Type
    Published Sources
    Copyright
    © 2000
    Available Languages
    English
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    Copyright ©2024
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    Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
    Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology
    Available Languages English
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