BRIEF—Regulatory overhaul will see China FDA focused on medicines

Under new proposals from the Chinese government, The China Food and Drug Administration is to be merged with other administrative bodies to become part of a new, national market supervision agency.

The change will reportedly mean that the CFDA will no longer be responsible for food administration, enabling it to focus on medical technologies.

As part of the reforms, the Chinese government will set up a new health insurance bureau that manages social security funds and set policies on health insurance.

The planned changes cap a series of far-reaching reforms aimed at streamlining and modernizing the activities of the medicines regulator.