諾華CEO：中國將成為藥物研發重鎮

位于瑞士巴塞爾的諾華耗資10億美元，在上海新開了一家研發機構。這是公司第三家大型 藥物開發中心，另外兩家分別在美國馬薩諸塞州坎布里奇和瑞士巴塞爾。

諾華的這一舉措表明，中國可能在研發救命藥物方面發揮新的作用。10年前，諾華這樣的公司被吸引到中國，主要是因為中國科研人員的薪水只有美國科研人員的十分之一。今天，由于中國的新興中產階級對健康上的支出不斷增加，以及中國培養的科學家人數超過了其他任何國家，諾華不得不投巨資于中國，盡管面臨不少挑戰。

挑戰之一是政府對藥價的壓力。在中國，處方藥占到醫療支出總額的40%（美國只有 15%），因此中國政府為了削減成本，更青睞仿制藥。

中國在藥物研發上也落后于世界，還存在制度障礙，比如新藥的注冊流程緩慢。中國的新藥審批時間是美國的兩倍。此外，還數次曝出丑聞：因為一樁賄賂案子，葛蘭素史克兩年前向中國繳納了4.9億美元罰款。美國監管機構指控諾華為了增加銷售額向中國醫務人員行賄，公司在今年3月為此支付了2,500萬美元。

但有分析師稱，中國政府已經決定做出一些改革，比如在去年取消了數百種西方國家藥品的價格管制，政府也投入重金用于藥物研究。

諾華CEO江慕忠日前與《財富》雜志談論了中國在全球藥品開發中的角色變化，以及中國是否有創新的能力。以下是談話摘編。

The Basel-based company opened a new, $1 billion research and development campus in Shanghai today. With two other R&D centers in Cambridge, Mass., and Basel, Switzerland, it marks the company’s third main hub for drug research.

Novartis’s bet reflects the new role the Chinese could play in discovering life-changing drugs. Ten years ago, companies like Novartis ?NVS?-0.39%? were attracted to China because scientist salaries were just a tenth of those in the U.S. Now, with China’s ascendant middle class spending more on healthcare and the country producing more scientists than anywhere, global drug giants are forced to invest heavily in China despite the challenges.

Those challenges include government pressure on drug prices. In China, prescriptions drugs drive around 40% of total healthcare spending compared to 15% in the U.S., so the government has preferred generics to cut costs.

China also lags the world in drug discovery and suffers regulatory hurdles like a slow registration process for new drugs (drug approval in China takes twice the time as in the U.S.). There are scandals as well: GlaxoSmithKline paid a $490 million fine to settle a bribery case in China two years ago, while Novartis settled with the S.E.C. for $25 million in March in a case in which U.S. regulators alleged it paid bribes to Chinese healthcare workers to drive sales.

But analysts say the Chinese government is determined to change its reputation as place of little innovation. Last year, for instance, price controls were lifted on hundreds of Western drugs and the government is spending heavily on research.

Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez sat down withFortune yesterday to talk about China’s changing role in the global pharmaceutical game and whether the country can really innovate. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

為何選在中國設立大型研發中心？

中國堅定發展本國的制藥行業，每年在研發上的投入達200億美元，僅次于美國。這樣的投入已經持續好些年了。至少在過去5年是如此。中國一年培養3萬個科學和工程博士，遠超美國和歐洲；中國每年的科學、理工和數學專業大學畢業生有250萬人，是美國的5倍。

這個國家的人才呈現爆炸式增長。諾華要到有人才的地方去，因為我們知道，巴塞爾以外的科學家和醫生不一定想來巴塞爾。

我們視這座中心為真正的全球化研發中心。我們完全在中國研發的第一種藥很快就會走進醫院。它是治療肝纖維化的藥物，將行銷全球。

中國人的創新對于新藥的發現起到了什么特殊的作用？

以前在某些領域，中國人沒有表現出創新能力。而現在，情況明顯在發生變化。我覺得一個原因是出現了新的科技，還出現了諾華這樣的用研發新藥的路子來培訓中國科學家的公司。

至少在制藥行業，遲早有一天，中國會經常做出突破性的創新。我對此堅信不疑，因為中國政府正在為此投入資源。我不認為，在中國人的本性里面，有什么東西會妨礙他們創新。我相信，中國人正在學會如何發現重大藥物。

在藥品研發方，中國比西方如何？

中國還處于早期，拿棒球賽來說，它現在處于第三局。

10年前呢？

第一局。或者還在練習擊球。

我覺得，你會在10年內看到巨大變化。我們建的這座研發中心是打算使用 20年的。這個國家的醫療業會持續增長，因為它的農村人口正在進入中產階級。不管什么國家，如果中產階級在增長，對醫療的需求就會增長。所以，中國會一直增長下去。由于中國在拼命培訓這么多博士，它肯定會成為藥物研發的溫床。當然不是在明天，而是在較長的一段時期以后。

在過去10年，諾華對中國的看法有什么變化嗎？

10年前，中國只有我們的前20大市場之一。現在，它進了前10名。用不了幾名，它就會成為第二名或第三名。

如今，每個中國人，無論居住在城市還農村，都能享受到基本水平的藥品報銷。這是一個巨大的變化，是能讓行業在中國的增長實現兩位數的一件事。現在，我們假定增長在5%左右，可就是這個增長率也比美國和歐洲高得多。

中國在未來很多年都會是重要的市場，它會經歷周期，會有好年份和壞年份。但它肯定會給我們這樣的公司帶來大幅增長。

可最近一個第四財務季度，諾華的中國業務只增長了5%，怎么回事？

一位數增長將是中國的新常態。過去5年，我們經常出現11%或12%的增長。經濟放緩造成了增長率下降，因為在中國，很多藥還是得患者自掏腰包。但我們要說，和美國的1%到2%或歐洲的1%相比，這樣的增長還是相當不錯的。

中國政府最近致力于削減醫藥費用。這是否給諾華帶來壓力？

中國政府竭力擴大看病報銷的覆蓋地區。不只有藥品，而是整個醫療體制。

所以，當地方政府為了某種特殊藥品而招標或是為了壓低價格采用落價時拍賣時，競標變得更加激烈。即便有這樣的價格壓力，即便經濟放緩，你還能實現這樣的一位數增長，已經相當不錯了。

那么，價格壓力和低增長決定了中國業務的未來嗎？

到處都是新常態，制藥行業現在也不例外。在這種形勢下，你最好能創新。因為，只要你能創新，給市場帶來了突破性的新藥，消費者就會埋單。 （財富中文網）

譯者：天逸

Why open a big R&D center in China?

The country has made a commitment to build a domestic pharmaceutical industry. So they’re spending about $200 billion a year on research and development, second only to the U.S. and this has been going on for a number of years. At least the last five. They churn out 30,000 Ph.D.s a year in science and engineering. Far more than the U.S. or Europe. We see about 2.5 million graduates a year in the STEM fields, which is five times the U.S.

What’s happened is there’s been an explosion of talent in China. At Novartis, we build where the talent is because we know that scientists and physicians don’t necessarily want to move to Basel if they’re not from there.

We’re treating this as a truly global R&D center. The first drug for us that was fully discovered in China is about to enter into the clinic. It’s a drug for liver fibrosis. And that’s going to be a global drug.

Can Chinese innovation make a difference in discovering new drugs?

The Chinese historically have not been proven innovators in certain areas. If you look at what’s happening now, it’s changing. I think partly because of the flood of new technologies that are emerging, and companies like Novartis that are training Chinese scientists in the way that we discover drugs.

At least in the pharmaceutical industry, there will come a time when breakthrough innovation occurs in China on a regular basis. I’m convinced of that only because the government has put the resources there to make it happen. I don’t think there’s anything innate in the Chinese that would prevent them from innovating. I think part of it is being trained in how great drug discovery takes place.

How does China compare to the West in terms of drug discovery?

Well it’s still early. If it were a baseball game, it would be the third inning.

How about 10 years ago?

The first inning, or batting practice.

And I think in 10 years you’re going to see a big change. This R&D center that we’ve built is a 20-year commitment. This is a country that is going to continue to grow in healthcare because you’ve got a rural population that is moving into the middle class. In any country, when the middle class grows, demand for health care increases. So this is going to continue to be a place of growth as a country. Because they are so committed to churning out these Ph.D.s, this is going to become a hotbed for pharma R&D. Not tomorrow, but in the long-term.

How has Novartis’s thinking about China changed in the past 10 years?

Ten years ago this country was only in our top 20 markets. Today’s it’s in our top 10. In a short number of years it’s going to be number two or number three.

Today, every Chinese person, whether rural or urban, has at least some basic level of pharmaceutical reimbursement. And that’s a huge change. That’s one of things that lead to a growth rate that used to be double-digits in China. Now we’re assuming it’s going to be mid-single digits. But that’s still significantly higher than in Europe or the U.S.

This is going to be a big market for many years to come. It’s going to go through cycles. You’ll see good years and bad years. But this is going to drive a lot of growth for companies like ours.

In Novartis’s latest fourth quarter, growth was just 5% in China. Why?

Single-digit growth is going to be the new normal in China. We had consistently seen 11% or 12% growth five or six years ago. The economic slowdown has led to a slowing because a lot of pharmaceuticals in China are still paid out-of-pocket. But we’re saying look, when you compare to U.S.’s 1% to 2% growth or Europe’s 1%, it’s pretty good.

The government has recently worked to reduce drug costs. Does that pressure Novartis?

The Chinese government is trying to make their reimbursement bills stretch as far as they can. It’s not just the pharmaceuticals but the whole healthcare system in China.

So tendering becomes more intense when local provinces will tender for a particular type of drug, or use reverse auctions to try to drive the prices down. Even with all that pricing pressure and with the slowdown of the economy, you still see this single-digit growth, so it’s still pretty good.

So pricing pressures and lower growth will define China in the future?

It’s the new normal everywhere. This is part of the pharmaceutical industry now. In situation like that, you’d better be innovating. Because if you’re innovating and bringing new drugs to market that really are breakthroughs, they’re going to get reimbursed.