China's drug industry has long operated under a cloud. A lax regulatory environment has bred accusations that the country's drug makers have been able to produce and commercialize dangerous and untested therapies. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that China's former head of the state drug agency, Zheng Xiaoyu, accepted bribes from companies looking to skirt safety regulations. The fallout could affect the burgeoning industry. Licenses for 170,000 drug products are being reviewed. And heightened safety concerns are slowing new drug applications and irritating multinational players who see China as a huge new market [1].
- read the report [2] from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)
Related Articles:
China's future in the biotech industry. Editorial [3]
Looking to India, China et al. Report [4]
Bridge Pharma sees growth in China drug studies. Report [5]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/trend-e-amp-y-tracks-growing-biotech-industry/2005-06-03
[2] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117096125486402528.html?mod=health_hs_pharmaceuticals_biotech
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/editor-s-corner/2006-02-27
[4] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/looking-to-india-china-et-al./2006-12-22
[5] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/bridge-pharma-sees-growth-in-china-drug-studies/2006-11-27