China Medical University School of Pharmacy professor Juang Shin-hun (莊聲宏) yesterday took office as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director-general, as Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) denied a rumor that the personnel change resulted from a factional dispute within the ministry.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) hosted a handover ceremony from outgoing director general Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) to Juang at National Biotechnology Research Park.
The ministry recognized Wu’s efforts over the past seven years, leading the FDA through many challenges, Chou said, adding that she would be returning to academia.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
As FDA head, Juang would focus his expertise on new drug development, cancer drug mechanisms, gene therapy and molecular technology at the agency, he said.
The FDA would continue to improve the nation’s food safety environment by expanding and bolstering food safety management resources, food traceability, border and market inspections, and food businesses’ self-management, as well as the laws regulating regenerative medical products and the drug supply shortage reporting mechanism, Juang said.
Separately, when asked by reporters and legislators at the Legislative Yuan yesterday morning about a rumor that Wu left her post because of factional disputes within the ministry, Chiu said it was “pure fantasy” and that she left her post to return to academics.
Wu served as FDA general director for seven years, contributing her expertise toward solving food and drug safety issues, he said.
The ministry arranged the personnel change with a respectful attitude, while welcoming enthusiastic and determined staff to help the nation move forward, he added.
Responding to a legislator saying that Juang could retire when he reaches 65 years old in January next year, Chiu said he believes that with Juang’s abilities, he can “do three days’ work in one day,” contributing a lot to society.
Chiu was also asked about surgery rooms facing a shortage of large intravenous fluid (IV) bags, as YF Chemical Corp, which provides more than 70 percent of the nation’s IV bags, and was ordered to shut down production in May after it failed an inspection.
Chiu said that a steady supply of IV bags is not a problem and large 1-liter IV bags are expected to be available by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the ministry is supervising YF Chemical to ensure it makes improvements, and the company is expected to resume production near the end of this year and supply 2-liter IV bags, he said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS