Former Top Drug Regulator Indicted on Bribery Charges Amid Industry Crackdown
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Chinese authorities have indicted a former top drug-safety official on bribery charges, nine months after he was placed under investigation in a spiraling corruption crackdown on the country’s vast health care industry.
Chen Shifei, a former deputy director of the National Medical Products Administration, is accused of illegally accepting an “especially huge amount” of assets in exchange for using his influence to help others, prosecutors in Shanghai said in a statement Friday. The charges stem from his time in senior regulatory roles at both the provincial and national levels.
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- Chen Shifei, former deputy director of China’s National Medical Products Administration, has been indicted on bribery charges, accused of accepting large bribes over 22 years.
- The indictment follows Chen’s expulsion from the Communist Party and is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown targeting the pharmaceutical industry.
- Chen’s career included senior regulatory roles in Zhejiang and Beijing, with charges linked to his influence in drug licensing and regulatory decisions.
- Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology
- **Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology** was involved in a major vaccine scandal that eroded public trust in China's pharmaceutical industry. This scandal led to a leadership purge at the drug regulator, including the resignation of the agency's chief and investigations into other top officials. Chen Shifei, a former top drug-safety official, was brought in to fill a resulting opening.
- November 2000：
- Chen Shifei appointed as deputy director of the Zhejiang provincial drug regulator, marking the beginning of the bribery period.
- 2018：
- Chen promoted to director of the Zhejiang Provincial Food and Drug Administration.
- September 2018：
- Chen transferred to Beijing as deputy director of the National Medical Products Administration, following a major vaccine scandal.
- August 2022：
- Chen retires from the National Medical Products Administration, ending the period during which he is accused of accepting bribes.
- By February 26, 2025：
- Chen is first publicly identified as a target of official investigation.
- July 2025：
- Communist Party’s discipline watchdog announces Chen's expulsion from the party and the transfer of his case to prosecutors; official statement accuses him of multiple transgressions.
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