AstraZeneca Moving API Production To China
5 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // November 30th, 2009 // 8:49 am
The move comes two years after the big drugmaker insisted it wouldn’t outsource this activity there. Recently, though, AstraZeneca been building up its manufacturing presence in China with a big factory in Wuxi, which in addition to making APIs, also does medicine formulation and packaging, The Times of London reports.
The move is part of a cost-cutting drive begun in 2007, which happened to coincide with increasing concerns over manufacturing safety and quality at Chinese facilities. At the time, AstraZeneca was caught in a fit of embarassing backpedaling after insisting API production wouldn’t be outsourced to China, even though plans had been made (see here and here).
The drugmaker may attempt to assuage concerns by running its own facilities, but this step underscores a different, but related problem - an ongoing challenge to the FDA to oversee API production in China, given the agency’s understaffed inspection capabilities (please see here). Meanwhile, the drugmaker will eliminate an estimated 300 jobs as its shutters an API facility in the UK.
Robert
Production of a product being moved to China? I don’t believe it…
Salmon
If a company lies about things that are so easy to catch. It doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable when they say they aren’t lying about safety or efficacy issues.
Salmon
Jaynesday
Salmon, agreed
If you lie and don’t get caught, it’s not a problem.
If you keep your mouth shut when you know there is a problem, it’s not a problem.
If you lie under the pretext of an expert, it’s not a problem.
If you lie and do get caught but make a profit after all expenses, it’s not a problem.
If you willfully do harm with your eyes closed, it’s not a problem.
These are the new ethics. Buyer beware.
Justice in MI
If you lie and attack those who know you lied (via a range of threats and smear campaigns), buy them off, or harass and intimidate them, it’s also not a problem
Salmon
Chinese whistleblower protection laws.
Another advantage for China.