China Healthcare 2.0 – Age of Consolidation, Innovation and Capital Deployment

Despite the impressive growth observed in China over the last two decades and with a projected healthcare market of RMB 8 trillion (USD 1.2 trillion), Chinese life science companies lag behind toptiered Western counterparts, both in terms of market capitalisation and innovation. What makes 2017 remarkable is that the age of pure window shopping by Chinese players seems to be something of the past and companies are actively pursuing international strategies. Ambitious and visionary pharmaceutical companies and healthcare investors are all establishing their footprints across the world. The next five years point to exponential growth in crossborder knowledge and capital exchange, offering unprecedented opportunities for deal making between the West and the East for those who are prepared. This article highlights some of the changes, opportunities and challenges. We believe that three key themes will dominate this coming period: industry consolidation, technological innovation and optimisation of capital operation and deployment.