IMS: Drug spending growth to slow in emerging markets

The IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics expects drug spending in emerging markets to slow to a compound annual growth rate of 7-10% over the next five years compared to 12% in the last five, according to its annual Global Outlook for Medicines report released Wednesday.

IMS said spending growth in China, the largest emerging market, is expected to slow to 6-9% over the next five years, compared to 14% in the previous five years. Last year, IMS had anticipated a five-year spending growth rate of 10-13%. The institute attributed the slowdown to an overall lag in China's economic growth and the fact that many patients will continue to face high out-of-pocket costs in 2020, which may discourage patients from seeking out and adhering to treatment. ...