Policy Address

(C) International Health and Medical Innovation Hub

93. To expedite patients' access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and to foster new quality productive forces in biomedical technology, the Government will complement technological innovation with institutional innovation, developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

Reform the Approval Mechanism for Drugs and Medical Devices

94. The Government will expedite the reform of the approval mechanism for drugs and medical devices, including:

1. extending the "1+" mechanism to all new drugs, including vaccines and advanced therapy products, and improving the approval mechanism to speed up registration, facilitating good drugs for use in Hong Kong;

2. devising the timetable for the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and the roadmap towards adoption of "primary evaluation", as well as formulating strategies and measures to facilitate R&D of drugs and medical devices; and

3. taking forward preparatory work for legislating for the statutory regulation of medical devices.