The Department of Health announced today the establishment of the Preparatory Office for the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR) to put forward proposals and steps for the formal establishment of the CMPR.

The specific work of the preparatory office includes comprehensively studying and planning a regulatory and approval regime for drugs and medical devices suitable for Hong Kong and putting forward proposals and steps for the establishment of the CMPR.

The preparatory office will also conduct a review on the need for amending existing legislation and make recommendations to the Steering Committee on Health & Medical Innovation & Development.

Hong Kong would become an internationally renowned regulatory authority and implement the "primary evaluation" approach for medical products in six major steps.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has completed the first three of the six major steps, including the establishment of the preparatory office.

It will continue to actively follow up on the remaining major steps, including the establishment of the CMPR and implementation of the "primary evaluation" approach for medical products.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will also continue to attract more pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises, both locally and from around the world, to conduct research and development and clinical trials in Hong Kong as well as build the capacity, recognition and status to ensure that the eventual approval mechanism of medical products in Hong Kong would be widely recognised internationally and by the Mainland, and develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.