China launches space drug laboratory

Beijing, April 11 (IANS) China has set up a laboratory to conduct research on medicines for astronauts during space missions, the science and technology ministry said.

The laboratory, housed in the China Astronaut Centre here, was opened Tuesday. The construction began in 2009, Xinhua reported.

It is the country's first laboratory dedicated to aerospace medical research, said Li Yinghui, a senior scientist with the China Manned Space Engineering project.