CHINESE health authorities are keen to work with outside drug companies on public health and information campaigns, according to the regional director of a leading US drug company.
Mr Marc Cugnon, Far East regional director for Merck and Co, said Beijing health officials were ''open and responsive'' to Western companies with experience of running similar campaigns outside the mainland.
Such campaigns could revolve around issues such as infant vaccination or lowering cholesterol - a topical issue thanks to Governor Chris Patten's recent illness - and would not always mean a direct extra profit for the drug company but could include advice on hygiene and healthy eating.
Merck, which trades under the name MSD in the region after an agreement with a similarly-named company in Europe, currently has a licensing agreement for a Hepatitis B vaccine which will see 20 million doses a year being produced in China when the plant opens in October.
Agreeing that his company was behind some rivals in moving on to the mainland, Mr Cugnon said Merck was studying joint ventures or wholly-owned plants producing drugs for the mainland market.
In October a report by China's Ministry of Public Health acknowledged the importance of foreign expertise in both medical science and management, and encouraged mainland staff to set up co-operation pacts and to try to get involved in international bodies such as the World Health Organisation.
