The impact of drug shortages in Japan, including of essential products, is being considered as part of government-level discussions to consider the appropriateness of the current reimbursement pricing system. Amid rising production costs and wider global challenges, some experts in the industry are now asking for price increases.

The latest drug development news and highlights from the Pink Sheet’s US FDA Performance Tracker.

Benoit Opsomer, vice-president and head of bioprocessing, Asia Pacific, Merck Life Science, explains how recent targeted CDMO buyouts put the German group in pole position with services across the mRNA value chain, even as it supports global players such as BioNTech. Striking multi-country expansion of manufacturing footprint, including in China, is also underway amid rising demand for biopharma single-use assemblies.

The two companies signed a development and commercialization deal with a $200m upfront payment and milestones of up to $4.3bn.