经济学人304:无疆界之战 Battling borderless bugs

 　　TO GET an idea of where the world’s pharmaceutical¹ industry is heading, a leafy complex tucked off a hectic² road in Mumbai provides a clue. In one part of the building, Abbott, an American firm, is developing generic³ drugs—a privilege it won when it bought the copycat business of Piramal, an Indian firm, for $3.7 billion in 2010. In the other part of the building Piramal is developing new drugs. The American firm wants to sell cheap generics⁴ in India; the Indian firm plans to sell original drugs in America. One might think that they were having an identity crisis, if each were not so excited by the switch.

　　要想知道世界制药行业发展趋势如何，只要看看位于孟买一条繁忙的街道旁的一座叶状的综合大楼便可略知一二。这座大楼的一侧驻扎着美国雅培公司，目前正忙于仿制药品的开发。该公司于2010年以37亿美元收购了印度制药公司皮拉马尔（Piramal）旗下的品牌仿制药业务，因而拥有了生产仿制药的特权。大楼的另一侧是致力于开发新药的皮拉马尔公司。美国公司欲在印度销售廉价的仿制药，而印度公司则计划将新药出售给美国市场。如果不是各自都对这种转换如此兴奋，人们或许认为这两家公司可能正面临着身份危机。

　　The world’s drug industry is in flux⁵. In the past, Western drugmakers thrived on innovation while firms in emerging markets made cheap copies of their products. Now they are invading each other’s turf. Blockbuster drugs are losing their patents and, despite some bright spots, research has become more costly⁶ and less fruitful. Big Western firms are now looking to emerging markets for growth, hoping to sell not just their patented drugs but generic ones, too. Firms in emerging markets are expanding their footprint, ramping⁷ up sales in the West and investing in research. It is an energetic exchange, but a risky⁸ one.

　　全球制药行业处于不断变化之中。过去，西方制药企业靠创新而繁荣，而新兴市场的制药公司则靠廉价的仿制药赚钱。而今，他们正在互相侵入彼此的地盘。畅销药面临失去专利保护之忧，尽管研发会带来一定的竞争力，但研发的成本越来越高，成果却越来越少。西方大型制药公司目前正转向新兴市场寻求增长，他们希望不仅仅出售专利药品，还包括仿制药。新兴市场的制药公司也在扩大他们的足迹，不断提高在西方市场的销售额并加大研发的投入。这是一种极具活力的转换，同时也很冒险。

　　It is no surprise that Western drugmakers are looking further afield. America’s spending on prescription⁹ drugs increased by just 2.3% in 2010. As incomes rise elsewhere, the demand for health care grows. IMS Health, a research group, expects emerging markets’ share of drug spending to jump from 12% in 2005 to 28% in 2015.

　　西方药厂不断向外扩张地盘，这一点毫不奇怪。2010年，美国的处方药支出仅上升了2.3%。而随着世界其它地区的收入提高，人们对医疗保健的需求也随之上升。据全球研究机构IMS Health预测，新兴市场的药品支出所占比例将由2005年的12%跃升至2015年的28%。

　　Western companies are keen to tap this growth. Sanofi-Aventis, a French giant, has become the biggest producer of generic drugs in Latin America after its purchase in 2010 of Medley¹⁰, a Brazilian firm. Not to be left out, America’s Pfizer, the world’s biggest drugmaker, bought 40% of Teuto, a Brazilian generics company. Some firms also hope that developing countries—many chock full of talented scientists—will help to fill their bare pipelines¹¹ with new drugs. Merck, for example, recently announced that it would create a new research and development centre in Beijing, investing $1.5 billion over five years.

　　西方药企热衷于培育这一增长。法国医药巨头赛诺菲安万特公司在2010年收购巴西公司Medley之后一跃成为拉美地区最大的仿制药生产企业。同时，世界最大的药品制造商---美国的辉瑞公司也不甘示弱地买下了Teuto（巴西仿制药公司）40%的股份。一些公司还希望，发展中国家众多才华横溢的科学家可帮助他们在日已枯竭的研发产品线中注入新药。例如，默克最近宣布，它将在5年内投资15亿美元在北京建立一个研发中心。

1 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

2 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

3 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

4 generics   

n.（产品，尤指药物 ）无厂家商标的，无商标的( generic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pfizer has set up an in-house division to handle such generics. Pfizer已经建立了一个内部机构来处理这些学名药。 来自互联网
• Payers are being more pushy about getting patients to take generics. 药物费用的支付者更倾向于让病人使用非专利药。 来自互联网

5 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

8 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

9 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

10 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

11 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。