What is going to be the Ministry of Health's contribution towards the partnership?

The MoH will cooperate with Novartis to facilitate access to innovative medicines and quality generics, as well as increase the number of clinical trials in Malaysia. For instance, the government will form a work-group together with Novartis to reach common understanding in the identification and selection of clinical trials that are to be sponsored by Novartis in Malaysia.

The government and Novartis will continue to collaborate on appropriate and relevant access programs for patients needing early access to innovative medicines. For example, the MoH recently agreed to expand the funds for a new access program for Thalassemia patients, making a new innovative treatment available to more than 1,000 patients in Malaysia.

What is the market size of the healthcare sector in Malaysia?

In 2011 the healthcare expenditure in Malaysia was around five percent of the National GDP (around $11 billion). The MoH contributed 57 percent (around $6.3 billion) and the rest came from the private sector. The size of the pharmaceutical Industry in 2011 was close to $1.5 billion with approximately 33 percent generic penetration.