BLOGSCAN - Pharmaceutical Manufacturer to Outsource Manufacturing

On PharmaGossip, this post, and on PharmaLot, this post are about AstraZeneca's avowed intention of getting out of the drug manufacturing business. Apparently, the company is planning to outsource all its manufacturing, mainly to factories in China and India. So I guess we soon won't be able to call Astra Zeneca a pharmaceutical manufacturer? The PharmaLot post noted "the pharmaceutical sector is among the most conservative global industries in its attitude towards manufacturing and the supply chain, in part because of a history of high profit margins and stringent industry regulation." And didn't we just hear something about toys whose manufacturing was outsourced to China covered with lead-based paint, and pet food containing toxic chemicals whose manufacturing was outsourced to China? Maybe that regulation had a purpose?