Spotlight On... China drug safety improving, CFDA says; India's PM moves to reinstate tax exemptions; Studies underway for new bulk drug manufacturing hub; and more...

The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said in a recent report that the country's food and drug safety has improved and that cases of illegal or bad drugs fell in 2015 compared to 2014. The agency said 353,951 illegal food and drug cases were filed last year, which was about 50,000 fewer cases than in 2014. The CFDA also said China's government shut down at least 13,000 businesses that were involved in "wrongdoing." The CFDA said the improvements were due to deeper coordination efforts between CFDA officials and other Chinese government departments. The CFDA announcement follows a report in January in which the agency said it had shut down operations at 14 companies that were making a host of medications, some for use in children's products, because the drugs were not up to standards. The agency said it was trying to impose new standards on companies and pushing them to adopt world-class good manufacturing practices. Report

> The office of the prime minister of India is moving to reinstate tax exemptions given to lifesaving drugs that had been withdrawn by the Finance Ministry. Report

> The state government of India's Himachal Pradesh is studying a proposal to make the industrial area of Nalagarh into a bulk drug manufacturing hub. Report

> Osaka-based Shionogi has submitted a new drug application in Japan for ADHD candidate S-877503, which was co-developed with Shire ($SHPG). Release

> Beijing-based CRO Pharmaron has bought U.K.-based Quotient Bioresearch, which is focused on work in radiochemistry and metabolism studies. Financial details were not disclosed. Release