An employee stacks Johnson& Johnson Neosporin brand boxes on the production line at the J&J consumer healthcare products plant in Lititz, Pennsylvania, the United States. [Photo/Agencies] New drugs developed by pharmaceutical companies from the United States have played an important role in improving healthcare for Chinese, according to China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment. International pharmaceutical companies, including those from the US, have kept investing in research and development of new drugs in China, which has also contributed to improved innovation and research capabilities for domestic pharmaceutical companies, said Zuo Yuzeng, chief for communications at the association's R& D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee. The committee is comprised of 40 international companies with pharmaceutical research and development capabilities, including 12 from the US, such as MSD and Xian Janssen, he said. The companies have brought many patent drugs to Chinese patients. Many were not available in China before, and have contributed to helping patients relieve pain and prolong life, the committee said. A recent new drug that was introduced to China was Sirturo, developed by Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of US company Johnson& Johnson. The drug, the first new medication for tuberculosis worldwide for the past 45 years, has been administered in China since Feb 24, and initial results showed it is effective for patients with multidrug-resistant TB, according to Wang Bin, deputy head of disease control and prevention for the National Health Commission. Asgar Rangoonwala, president of Xian Janssen, said the drug is now being used at 16 hospitals nationwide in a trial program. In April, China Drug Administration approved a nine-way HPV vaccine, which works against up to nine types of HPV and was developed by US company MSD. A similar vaccine, which was also developed by the company and works against four types of HPV, was approved by the administration in May last year. Previously, no vaccines were available on the Chinese mainland to effectively prevent cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among Chinese women aged 15 to 44 after breast cancer, except a two-way HPV vaccine, driving many women to Hong Kong to receive such vaccines. International pharmaceutical companies have also contributed to improved capacities in innovation and research of domestic companies through increasing research and development in China, partnering with domestic research institutes and providing training, according to R & D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee. Some domestic international companies in recent years have been developing fast and they are catching up, said Zuo from the committee. festival wristbands for salecustom sweatbands no minimumcustom fidget spinnersflash drive wristbandbracelet maker onlinehow to make rubber bracelets
Members of a voluntary rescue team in Shanghai's Zhujiajiao town patrol its waterways on charge boats. [CHINA DAILY] Pedestrians and cyclists in a busy riverside town outside of Shanghai can move about with more peace of mind thanks to the efforts of a highly trained rescue team. For over a decade, the team's patrols have helped prevent accidents, especially along the Dianpu River in Zhujiajiao - a town with a history of more than 1,700 years in suburban Qingpu district. Members perform various tasks, including fighting fires, emergency water rescues, and flood prevention and typhoon preparedness, according to Chen Chunhao, director of the Zhujiajiao's conscription office, which oversees the team. The team has several dozen members, he said. Half are ex-military and the rest are college graduates under 25. All are unpaid but receive free training, and were selected through exams and stamina tests. The group is officially classed as a militia, which still operate nationwide under guidance from local authorities. They play a part in protecting national security and respond to emergencies that threaten social stability. However, such groups are only armed during training with the military. We undertake more diversified duties - mainly covering the propagation of national defense knowledge and performing daily guard duty along the river - in addition to our basic security work, said Li Linjie, the team leader. For example, we rescued a 22-year-old woman who attempted to drown herself in the river in September. In January, the team also cleared heavy snow from the streets and laid skid-resistant straw mats to protect vehicles and pedestrians. On an average day, Zhujiajiao receives more than 40,000 tourists keen to take in the town's history and watery vistas, and accidents sometimes occur with children and the elderly trying to negotiate the river's slippery banks. We're ready for every mission, Li said. Every member also speaks a second language, to help foreign tourists in town. According to its members, the team's track record of success is due to its disciplined military-style management. A full set of equipment is available to us, including rescue and patrol boats, inflatable rafts, motorcycles and firefighting tools, said Yuan Heqiang, another team leader. Members undergo regular military training and physical conditioning, as well as study water-rescue and firefighting techniques. We even began using drones last year to quicken our emergency response time, Yuan said. Experts from the Qingpu Lifesaving Association and the Qingpu Red Cross Association are regularly invited to teach the team the latest techniques in water rescue and first aid. The emergency response team has become a key guardian of peace and security in Zhujiajiao, said Colonel Li Huilin of the Qingpu district's conscription office. Over the past 11 years, the unit has coped with more than 30 major disasters and 500 crises, helping prevent property losses of more than 8 million yuan ($1.21 million), especially before and during weather emergencies. [email protected]
