Sumitomo has established a wholly owned subsidiary in Shanghai to procure a stable supply of low-cost Chinese drug materials and semi-finished products for large international drug-makers. The subsidiary will initially provide quality control guidance to about 10 local pharmaceutical firms.
Nikkei said it was the first attempt by a Japanese company to arrange large-scale shipments of Chinese pharmaceutical products to multinational drug firms. Many Japanese and Western drug companies have concerns about the quality of Chinese products.