JPMA calls for increase in PMDA review staff as govt cuts back

The review staff at Japan's Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency should be increased to nearly double the current number of about 200 employees (a total of 346 are authorized), to facilitate new drug reviews, Hatsuo Aoki, president of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association said at a press conference in Tokyo.

Contrary to this proposal, the PMDA plans to decrease the number of its employees including reviewers, 5% over four years in accordance with the Japanese government's program to reduce government employees by the same percentage. Since the PMDA is an independent administrative agency, it can substantially manage itself. However, the PMDA's staff are considered to be government employees, so government financial constraints have targeted them also. The JPMA believes that blanket cuts will have a detrimental effect on the rate of new drug approvals.

JPMA opposes blanket cutbacks