Expect lots of smiles and hand-shaking next month, when China and the U.S. are expected to sign a new drug safety pact. Beijing announced today that it will cooperate with the U.S. to ensure the safety of pharmaceuticals, and it's planning a new sweep against false advertising, too. Details of the bilateral agreement weren't forthcoming.
Yesterday, the government trumpeted its ad-quashing strength, citing 33,000 false ads it had swept aside over the last six months. The safety agreement is expected to include a crackdown on exporters and closer scrutiny of drugs old in-country. Whether it will bear more fruit than previous pledges remains to be seen.
- read the report from the Guardian