China's state drug regulator on Thursday urged its local divisions to work hard at eliminating shoddy pharmaceuticals as well as the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals that "upset the market's normal order".
The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said in a statement that the move was part of a nationwide crackdown on fake goods and intellectual property rights infringements, jointly launched by several government agencies including the ministries of public security, culture and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine(AQSIQ).
During the nationwide crackdown, which was launched in October and scheduled to end in March, SFDA will focus on the monitoring of information and the sale of pharmaceuticals on the Internet, according to a circular posted on SFDA's website.
It will also improve the supervision of advertisements that promote fake pharmaceuticals or contain exaggerated promises to cure diseases, it said.
Several government agencies have already become involved in the nationwide campaign, which experts say would effectively halt the theft of intellectual property rights and promote public awareness in IPR protection.
On Wednesday the Ministry of Culture said it would step up its fight against IPR infringements in karaoke bars, Internet cafes and artistic products.
The AQSIQ has said it would prioritize the elimination of counterfeit commodities such as spare auto parts, cell phones and big-ticket export items. (Xinhua)
