www.sfgate.com reports that India has a signifcant lead of China in the biotech business.
This is when companies in China take on research projects while developing their own expertise and technical ability so that these companies can later compete internationally.
It is estimated to cost as much as $1 billion to discover a new drug.
China is not likely to catch up with India in this industry for the following reasons.
1. Lax intellectual proprety rights - China is still learning what it means to respect the work of others.
2. Language barriers - educated Indians already speak English while the Chinese have to learn.
3. Quality issues - China still lags technically though there are many scientists returning to the homeland from overseas.
4. Lagging Lab capability in lab experience - in time though, the returing Chinese are likely to fill this gap...the key word being time.
China does have one advantage over India - an absense of animal rights groups. India does ban some types of animal testing.
But animal testing alone does NOT give China the edge it needs.
What do you think?
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