Pfizer to cease vaccine operations in China

Pfizer Inc is ceasing its commercial vaccine operations in China after the government failed to renew its license for a key shot for children, the latest sign of the uncertainties facing international drugmakers in the nation.

The Chinese import license for the Prevenar-brand vaccine expired last year, the US pharmaceutical company said in a statement on Thursday. It expects a shortage of the product in China before the launch of a newer version, called Prevenar 13, that it already sells in other parts of the world.

Drugmakers in China have faced delays in approvals in recent years because of changing rules. At least thirty-four applications from foreign multinationals have been or are set to be delayed after Chinese regulators began requiring an added procedure, according to R&D-Based Pharmaceutical Association Committee.