Patients wait up to 24 months for new drugs to be approved in Hong Kong
31-Aug-15, South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's medical standards are considered to be among the best in the world. Yet, doctors and patients lament one problem that can only get worse - outdated drug regulation procedures.
%20Henry%20Wong.jpg "Patients wait up to 24 months for new drugs to be approved in Hong Kong (c) Henry Wong")
Image: Henry Wong
Patients wait far longer to gain access to innovative medicine than those in many other medical hubs because the drug regulation regime here is still based on old, rigid protocols.
A University of Hong Kong thesis published in 2013 pointed out, for example, that it takes around 18 to 24 months for the local authorities to recognise a new drug - when the same medicine can be approved in just 60 days in Singapore.