China to reform approval system for drugs and medical instruments

According to a guideline issued by China’s State Council on August 18, China aims to set up a more scientific and efficient system to ensure the safety and quality of medicines and medical instruments that come into the market, by reforming its appraisal and approval system for such products.

The relevant authorities will make efforts to strike a balance between the number of registration applications received and those that are approved by the end of 2016. They will also ensure that, by 2018, every application will be approved or rejected within a certain time limit.

“Our attitude is very clear, we welcome innovative drugs to China, to come early, the sooner the better,” Wu Zhen, vice minister of the China Food and Drug Administration, said at a press conference in Beijing reported by Bloomberg.