Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially joined an informal international group consisting of regulatory agencies that regulate medicines after the group approved its application to join.
In a statement Wednesday, the Taiwan FDA said it has become an associate member of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) after the ICMRA approved its application, filed in 2023, at a recent meeting.
The Taiwan FDA is joining the group under the name "Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), Chinese Taipei," according to the Taiwan FDA's statement.
Founded in 2013, the ICMRA is an informal group of leaders of medicine regulators that provides strategic directions for enhanced collaboration and approaches to jointly address common challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its website.
The ICMRA now consists of 24 full members, including the United States FDA and China's National Medical Products Administration, and 15 associate members, including Taiwan. The World Health Organization is listed as an observer to the ICMRA.
According to the Taiwan FDA's statement, its application to join the organization was aimed at being able to learn from "other medicines regulatory authorities' strategies in responding to current issues of concern."
As an associate member, the Taiwan FDA will actively participate in all ICMRA working groups and initiatives, enabling it to learn about trends in global regulatory issues and exchange information on health policy with other regulatory agencies.
In a separate statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) congratulated the Taiwan FDA in successfully becoming a part of the ICMRA community.
The administration's inclusion in the ICMRA indicates that Taiwan's laws and regulations on food and drugs have been recognized globally, and that the government's years-long strategy of pushing for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the international community is on the right path, MOFA said.
Taiwan has been shut out of the World Health Organization and other U.N.-affiliated entities because it is not a member of the United Nations, and efforts to take part as an observer have failed in recent years because of China's opposition.
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