FDA opens permanent offices in China

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach and Director Wang Longxing, Shanghai FDA. Image Source: FDA

The FDA has opened offices in three Chinese cities to strengthen oversight of the production of medicine, food and other consumer products destined for the United States.

The agency said it intends to open offices in India and in the regions of Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The FDA’s Middle East office will be headquartered in Amman, Jordan.

The expanded U.S. presence in foreign nations results from the discovery of tainted medicine, such as the heparin crisis earlier this year, and other contaminated products from China over the past few years.

The permanent FDA presence in China is expected to provide more protections for consumers in both countries, the agency said.