简体中文
Chinese pharmaceutical companies’ hopes of selling their products abroad have received a boost after China’s drug regulator was accepted as a member of an international organization that focuses on standardizing global drug regulations.
The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) announced on Monday that it had become a member of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH).
The CFDA submitted its application in March and was admitted by the ICH during a meeting held by the organization earlier this month. "The [ICH] met in Montreal, Canada from May 31 to June 1, 2017. The ICH Assembly approved the China Food and Drug Administration as a new Regulatory Member," said a statement on the CFDA website.
Screenshot of CFDA's announcement on its website
The ICH, set up by the US, Europe and Japan in 1990, works to encourage good manufacturing practices and eliminate duplication of testing of new products, thereby increasing the speed at which they can be approved and marketed.
China’s approval signals that it is prepared to bring its drug testing in line with international standards, potentially reassuring foreign markets afraid of dodgy practices and counterfeiting.
Observers have drawn a parallel between this acceptance of China in the medicine industry and the country’s entry into the World Trade Organization.
(CGTN)
