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Gov. touts N.J. pharma in China
Corzine urges easing rules on duplicate testing
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BY JEFF WHELAN
Star-Ledger Staff
BEIJING -- Going to bat for New Jersey's pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday urged top Chinese government officials to scale back duplicate testing he said keeps important products from Chinese consumers.
Corzine told China's State Food and Drug Administration director and his deputies that while regulations are key to protecting consumers, the government restrictions are "causing serious limitations" on products that could benefit the public's health in China. He said the Chinese government needs to strike a better balance.
The governor made his plea during a meeting with top Chinese regulators and executives from New Jersey-based pharmaceutical and medical technology companies. Corzine yesterday also met with other top Chinese officials and American Chamber of Commerce leaders in Beijing before flying to Hong Kong, where he is set to deliver a speech on stem cell research.
"There is significant opportunity for New Jersey companies and business activities in China," Corzine said shortly before boarding a plane. "But it was obvious from most of the discussions we had that there are challenges, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry."
That was apparent at the meeting with China's Food and Drug Administration.
With 12 New Jersey-based pharmaceutical companies with operations in China, Shao Mingli, director of the agency, noted that "New Jersey is a very important state as far as China is concerned."
But when Corzine said New Jersey companies have complained about the Chinese government requiring duplicate testing for the same medical devices, the commissioner bristled.
"The problem has basically been solved," he said through an interpreter.
Robert Franks, president of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey, a trade association of pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, disagreed with that assessment in an interview after the meeting.
Franks, a former U.S. Representative from New Jersey, said two Chinese agencies have announced they have an agreement to eliminate duplication, but added, "We have not seen the details, nor has the redundancy disappeared." He said his members want to work with the Chinese government toward "aggressive implementation" of a streamlined process.
Executives from Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Wyeth, Celgene and Stryker were among the representatives of New Jersey companies with operations in China who attended the meeting. The companies see the Asian nation with 1.3 billion residents as an enormous opportunity for growth, but complain that it takes much longer to bring drugs and medical devices to market than it does in the United States.
"It adds needlessly to the cost," said William Healey, vice president of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey. "We believe our products will yield great benefits for the future health of the population of China, but there are obviously issues on how to give access to residents."
The companies are also concerned about the challenges of keeping proprietary information -- such as data from research and development and drug testing -- private in communist China.
Corzine and Franks both said the meeting was helpful because it opened a dialogue with the Chinese officials who regulate an industry central to New Jersey's economic health. The industry employs about 60,000 people in the state.
The governor also met with officials from the American Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Ambassador to China, Charles Randt and the chairmen of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and the China Food and Oil, a large state-owned company.
China Food and Oil has a New Jersey office in Edgewater, from which the company monitors financial and commodity markets, the governor said.
Corzine said China does not make large direct investments in American companies or real estate, but that it likely will in the future. When that happens, he said, China Food and Oil will be at the forefront because of its international trading experience.
"If the objective was to be able to have dialogue with senior officials and organizations that will allow me to plug in and help New Jersey companies with individual needs, then I think it was very positive," Corzine said of his Beijing visit.
Corzine said his trip to the communist nation -- which he has criticized in the past over workers' rights concerns -- focused on trade issues. He said he didn't have an opportunity to engage in an expansive discussion on human rights with Chinese government officials.
Staff writer Jeff Whelan is the only reporter accompanying Governor Jon Corzine on his weeklong trade trip to East Asia.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
Gov. touts N.J. pharma in China
Corzine urges easing rules on duplicate testing
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BY JEFF WHELAN
Star-Ledger Staff
BEIJING -- Going to bat for New Jersey's pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday urged top Chinese government officials to scale back duplicate testing he said keeps important products from Chinese consumers.
Corzine told China's State Food and Drug Administration director and his deputies that while regulations are key to protecting consumers, the government restrictions are "causing serious limitations" on products that could benefit the public's health in China. He said the Chinese government needs to strike a better balance.
The governor made his plea during a meeting with top Chinese regulators and executives from New Jersey-based pharmaceutical and medical technology companies. Corzine yesterday also met with other top Chinese officials and American Chamber of Commerce leaders in Beijing before flying to Hong Kong, where he is set to deliver a speech on stem cell research.
"There is significant opportunity for New Jersey companies and business activities in China," Corzine said shortly before boarding a plane. "But it was obvious from most of the discussions we had that there are challenges, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry."
That was apparent at the meeting with China's Food and Drug Administration.
With 12 New Jersey-based pharmaceutical companies with operations in China, Shao Mingli, director of the agency, noted that "New Jersey is a very important state as far as China is concerned."
But when Corzine said New Jersey companies have complained about the Chinese government requiring duplicate testing for the same medical devices, the commissioner bristled.
"The problem has basically been solved," he said through an interpreter.
Robert Franks, president of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey, a trade association of pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, disagreed with that assessment in an interview after the meeting.
Franks, a former U.S. Representative from New Jersey, said two Chinese agencies have announced they have an agreement to eliminate duplication, but added, "We have not seen the details, nor has the redundancy disappeared." He said his members want to work with the Chinese government toward "aggressive implementation" of a streamlined process.
Executives from Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Wyeth, Celgene and Stryker were among the representatives of New Jersey companies with operations in China who attended the meeting. The companies see the Asian nation with 1.3 billion residents as an enormous opportunity for growth, but complain that it takes much longer to bring drugs and medical devices to market than it does in the United States.
"It adds needlessly to the cost," said William Healey, vice president of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey. "We believe our products will yield great benefits for the future health of the population of China, but there are obviously issues on how to give access to residents."
The companies are also concerned about the challenges of keeping proprietary information -- such as data from research and development and drug testing -- private in communist China.
Corzine and Franks both said the meeting was helpful because it opened a dialogue with the Chinese officials who regulate an industry central to New Jersey's economic health. The industry employs about 60,000 people in the state.
The governor also met with officials from the American Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Ambassador to China, Charles Randt and the chairmen of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and the China Food and Oil, a large state-owned company.
China Food and Oil has a New Jersey office in Edgewater, from which the company monitors financial and commodity markets, the governor said.
Corzine said China does not make large direct investments in American companies or real estate, but that it likely will in the future. When that happens, he said, China Food and Oil will be at the forefront because of its international trading experience.
"If the objective was to be able to have dialogue with senior officials and organizations that will allow me to plug in and help New Jersey companies with individual needs, then I think it was very positive," Corzine said of his Beijing visit.
Corzine said his trip to the communist nation -- which he has criticized in the past over workers' rights concerns -- focused on trade issues. He said he didn't have an opportunity to engage in an expansive discussion on human rights with Chinese government officials.
Staff writer Jeff Whelan is the only reporter accompanying Governor Jon Corzine on his weeklong trade trip to East Asia.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 2:55 PM
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