30-Dec-16 According to China’s leading online travel marketplace, Ctrip, Chinese medical tourism grew to reach 500,000 outbound trips in 2016, and Ctrip's medical tourism business grew by 500%, having been launched in Sep 2015. Health checks made up over 50% of Chinese medical tourism trips in 2016. Among Ctrip’s customers, Japan was the most popular destination followed by Korea. [image: Shutterstock / Jing Daily]

15-Dec-16 A number of changes that are afoot in Japan as the country seeks to enhance its medical tourism footprint by helping patients further afield. The government announced a push towards medical commercialisation in 2010, and this prompted Japanese companies and hospitals to open 19 medical services in 13 countries since then. [image: Aizawa Healthcare International Ltd]

24-Nov-16 Korean biotech and healthcare companies are expanding their business in Japan. Macrogen recently established in Kyoto to provide a genome analysis service. Medipost set up a JV in Japan to release its stem cell therapy product Cartistem. MediTox is supplying anti-aging products in the Japanese market and Tego Science exhibited its anti-wrinkle cell therapy product TPX-105 at Bio Japan. [image: Business Korea]

19-Nov-16  The Japanese government is teaming up with domestic health care companies to gauge demand in China for new nursing care services and equipment in a bid to expand sales channels. The companies include Nichiigakkan, a nursing care provider, hospital bed maker Paramount Bed, wheelchair maker Kawamura Cycle and P2P Bank, a developer of anti-dementia programs. [image: Nikkei Asian Review]

18-Nov-16 Mitsui, one of Japan’s largest corporations, and investment firm KKR have announced the signing of a share purchase agreement for 22% of Panasonic Healthcare for JPY54.1 bn (USD510 mn). Panasonic Healthcare develops, manufactures, and sells blood glucose monitoring systems for diabetes. In Jan-16 it acquired Ascensia, formerly the diabetes care unit of Bayer. [image: Panasonic]