In the next decade, the in-vitro diagnostics market (IVD) in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. are expected to experience only modest growth. In contrast, emerging markets will drive increased demand, with Singapore and Malaysia leading in Asia.
Diagnostics Market | Singapore Takes the Lead
Singapore is a highly competitive IVD market which attracts many major international players. Singapore is also well established in advanced technology, specialized manufacturing industries, and serves as a distribution hub for medical products throughout Asia. Nearly all major IVD companies with extensive operations in the Asia-Pacific have offices in Singapore for regional sales, marketing, and distribution. The country’s market has several advantages which attract international companies including an efficient regulatory system and high English proficiency.
Diagnostics Market | Malaysia’s Close Behind
Although the demand for IVD testing in Malaysia is less than Singapore’s, the country’s IVD market is quickly evolving due to government investment in public healthcare as well as private patient spending. Approximately half of the country’s IVD market is focused on clinical chemistry, immunoassays and hematology laboratory testing, especially in Malaysia’s urban centers.
Regulatory Framework
Both Singapore and Malaysia adhere to the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) regulatory harmonization framework which is in compliance with international standards. Manufacturing facilities in both countries comply with GMP. The regulatory process is equivalent to that of medical devices. as in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are classified according to the same system. Clinical requirements, processing time frames and government fees are all dependent on IVD classification. Most ASEAN countries will follow Singapore’s model in the implementation of the ASEAN Medical Device Directive (AMDD). However, each country will maintain its own system of regulations until the implementation of the AMDD framework.
Linguistic Diversity
Although English is primarily the language of business in both Singapore and Malaysia, there are several other spoken languages in each country. Thus, despite English proficiency, there may be a need for translation services as well as interpreting services for international companies interested in these countries IVD markets. Some understanding of the linguistic complexity and cultural diversity in these countries may be helpful.
Official languages of Singapore:
English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.
Multiple official languages may account for communication barriers. But although Singapore ranks 12th among the top countries with high English proficiency, several variations of spoken English are common throughout the country. One such variation, Singlish, an English-based creole language, is especially prevalent.
Official languages of Malaysia:
The national and official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melayu (Malay).
Since the population of Malaysia is so diverse, however, there are many other spoken languages and dialects. In addition to English, which is fairly prevalent, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese are the main Chinese dialects while Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, Gujerati and Urdu are the most common Indian languages. According to a national census, although Malayasia ranks 14th among the top countries with high English proficiency, only about 20% of Malaysians are proficient in English.
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