US FDA-style body mulled by govt for medical innovation, drugs entering Hong Kong: health chief

The government is considering if it is necessary to establish a body that supervises and approves drugs entering Hong Kong, similar to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, said health secretary Lo Chung-mau. 

In an interview with local media, Lo said the move could attract pharmaceutical companies to Hong Kong, noting that these firms often conduct research where the regulating body is based. 

Currently, a firm can register a drug in the SAR after obtaining approval from two or more of the 36 regulating bodies on the mainland or overseas. 

Lo believed a faster drug approval process and a policy allowing HK-registered drugs to apply over the border could attract firms to come to the city and conduct more research and clinical trials. 

He continued that local universities had outstanding research but needed more opportunities for clinical trials and approvals. 

The health chief added the SAR must “radically” boost its research and development capabilities after Covid-19, saying that one of his plans is to transform the city into a biomedical innovation hub.