Content about China

Walmart recently announced that it would source $50 billion of the products sold in its stores in the United States over the next 10 years, according to a report in USA Today.

LONDON — Alliance Boots, under the terms of a strategic alliance agreement signed earlier this week, announced that it will acquire a 12% stake in Nanjing Pharmaceutical for a total consideration of approximately $90.7 million. On completion of the transaction, which is subject to various regulatory approvals, Alliance Boots will be the second largest shareholder in Nanjing Pharmaceutical with board and operational management representation.

PHILADELPHIA — Jacques Duplessis on Monday pleaded guilty to engaging in a scheme to sell approximately 6,000 boxes of counterfeit LifeScan One Touch diabetic test strips that he purchased from suppliers in China and England, announced U.S. attorney Zane David Memeger.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.  — Total prestige beauty in China — which is those products sold mainly in department stores and Sephora stores in the top 10 cities in mainland China — rose 21% in 2011 compared with 2010, according to beauty market research by NPD.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The 2011 growth of the natural personal care segment waned slightly but still consistently outperformed the overall beauty market, according to recent findings from consulting and research firm Kline & Co.

LONDON — Patent expirations of key blockbuster drugs and efforts by payers to contain costs are likely to bring strong growth to the global generic drug market in the next few years as market-earned revenues grow by more than $100 billion, according to an analysis by research firm Frost & Sullivan.

The report, titled "Generic Pharmaceuticals Market — A Global Analysis" and focusing on the United States and Europe, also found that healthcare expenditure and sales revenues are poised to shift to India, China, Brazil, Turkey and South Korea.

PHILADELPHIA — Drug makers will focus on patient-specific therapies instead of drugs designed for use by a broad range of people over the next decade, according to a new report released Thursday by Thomson Reuters.

The report, titled "The Changing Role of Chemistry in Drug Discovery" and based on drug industry productivity, patent data and other dynamics and trends, was released in recognition of the International Year of Chemistry 2011.

COLLINSVILLE, Conn. — Passage Foods has expanded its Passage to China cooking sauces line with two new flavors.

The Passage to China lineup now includes black bean stir-fry and honey, soy and garlic sauces. The sauces are all-natural, gluten-free, preservative-free recipes that contain fresh, natural ingredients and can be paired with both meat and vegetables, the company said.

Passage Foods also produces such cooking sauces as Passage to Indian, Passage to Thailand and Passage to Morocco.

WASHINGTON — Atico International USA issued a voluntary recall of 57,000 holiday rattle baby slippers amid a choking hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The CPSC reported that the soft shoes with built-in rattles were imported from China by Atico International USA of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and sold nationwide at Walgreens stores from October 2010 through January 2011 for about $5.

ATLANTA — A Minute Maid product has achieved $1 billion in sales worldwide.

Coca-Cola, which owns the Minute Maid brand, reported that Minute Maid Pulpy marked the first Coca-Cola brand that was launched in an emerging market — the drink was launched nationally in China in 2005 — to reach the billion-dollar mark.

Last year, Minute Maid Pulpy was introduced in Algeria, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, followed by rollouts in Mexico and Kazakhstan.

BURLINGTON, Mass. — A growing drug-treated population will cause the Type 2 diabetes drug market in China to increase to $2.5 billion by 2014, according to a new report by Decision Resources.

The Type 2 diabetes market in China totaled $1.4 billion in 2009, Decision Resources said.