China has simplified the process for approving drugs and protective gear necessary to tackle the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, allowing medical professionals and patients greater access to safe and effective products, officials said on Feb 25.
Yan Jiangying, deputy director of the China National Medical Products Administration, said in a news briefing on Feb 25 that the administration has accelerated the drug approval process with dedicated expert teams and paramount emphasis on safety and potency.
The administration has approved five drugs for clinical trials against the pneumonia, including remdesivir and favipiravir. It has also approved diagnosis kits from 10 companies, she said.
As of Jan 24, the administration has granted production permits for 134 types of medical equipment, 93 of which have been granted since the epidemic began. This allowed China to produce over 330,000 medical hazmat suits, 844,000 medical face masks, and 1.7 million nucleic acid test kits every day, she said.
To ensure the quality of the products, Yan said, the administration has dispatched 13 inspection teams to work with local authorities to monitor the production and retailing process. It has also established interdepartmental mechanisms to detect illegal activities related to the medical products.
As for intellectual property protection, He Zhimin, the deputy director of the National Intellectual Property Administration, said drug and medical equipment manufacturers should act in accordance with laws when producing their goods, especially when dealing with patented products.
Source: China Daily
