Tighter controls on drugs firms

Measures will be introduced before the end of the year to better control the supply of ingredients for medicines, especially those produced by chemical firms that have crossed over into the drugs market, Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), said yesterday.

The image of China's pharmaceutical industry overseas has been tarnished by a number of incidents involving unregistered companies, she said.

To redress the situation, the SFDA will introduce higher standards for companies involved in the production of ingredients for pharmaceuticals, Yan said.