LAHORE, Aug 29: The Pharma Bureau Pakistan has appealed to the government to simplify the registration of molecules as years of delay deprive patients of benefiting from new drugs and technologies.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the bureau said it was strong proponent of prudent regulation of the pharmaceutical industry but it strongly opposes over-regulation that is against the interests of both consumers and the industry. It suggested that the government approve the drug that has been approved in two of the three developed economies such as United States, European Union and Japan.

“These countries have highly credible regulatory bodies and drugs approved by them undergo rigorous clinical trials and other processes which should give our regulators confidence to introduce them in our market,” the statement said.

It stated that pricing is a crucial issue in drug regulation. The availability of a drug is vital. Their prices should be similar to those in countries in the South Asian region. — Staff Reporter