AstraZeneca sets up China R&D center

British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca opened its first clinical pharmacology center in Beijing Tuesday by teaming up with a leading local hospital, the Jinghua Times reported. The drug maker did so in a move to prepare for marketing its products to the world’s most populous and hence lucrative market, the newspaper said. The clinical pharmacology center is located at Beijing University’s No. 3 Hospital and concentrates on infections, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The center will carry out clinical research, including clinical trials and safety evaluations, which are compulsory procedures for the launch of new drugs in China.