- The agreement was signed by the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris) and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
- This agreement will speed up the inspection and approval processes for vaccines, drugs and medical devices from both countries.
The regulatory agencies of Mexico –Cofepris– and the People's Republic of China –NMPA– signed a regulatory cooperation agreement for health supplies in order to make it easier to register vaccines, medicines and medical equipment from both countries.
Attending the virtual event were, for Mexico, Alejandro Svarch, Cofepris Federal Commissioner; and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Foreign Ministry, Martha Delgado. Attending for China, were NMPA Commissioner Jiao Hong and the Chinese Ambassador to Mexico, Zhu Qingqiao.
The agreement stipulates that both regulatory agencies will take into account the registration information issued by their counterpart as a reference for registration in their own country, in line with the applicable national legislation. The NMPA and Cofepris will exchange information, documents and their experiences with regulating health supplies directly.
During the meeting, Undersecretary Delgado said that the cooperative relationship between China and Mexico has been strengthened in the last year as a result of China's support for the country's fight against COVID-19. She said further that Mexico has had access to ventilators, protective medical equipment and vaccines thanks to its good relationship with China.
The agreement also states that both agencies will share their good regulatory practices, promote activities to enhance their technical and scientific capacities, and explore the possibility of accepting the results of inspections for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification carried out by the parties.
Commissioners Svarch and Hong highlighted the need for bilateral agreements between health agencies to streamline government procedures to facilitate access to safe and effective supplies, drugs and vaccines to fight the diseases that afflict both nations.
Ambassador Zhu Qingqiao reiterated China's commitment to continuing its efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two nations.
The Cofepris and NMPA commissioners signed the agreement virtually. However, the Mexican embassy in China will help to obtain the signatures needed on the original agreement.
