Gov't OKs two cancer treatment drugs for registration

The drugs are oral targeted drugs in different dosages for treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

Hong Kong's government said two new drugs were greenlighted for registration after passing the new review mechanism, the 1+ mechanism.

"They are oral targeted drugs in different dosages for treating metastatic colorectal cancer, and bring new hope of treatment to patients for whom conventional chemotherapy has been ineffective or inapplicable," the Government said.

The approval of new drugs for registration was only around a month after the "1+" mechanism came into effect, which means the new mechanism is effective. 

The "1+" mechanism boosts local capacity in drug evaluation marks an important milestone for Hong Kong in its development as a globally recognised regulatory authority for drugs and medical devices and an international health and medical innovation hub.

Under the mechanism, applications for registration of new drugs beneficial for the treatment of life-threatening or severely debilitating diseases and supported with local clinical data only need to submit approval from one reference drug regulatory authority, down from two previously.

The new drugs can be registered in Hong Kong after the applications are evaluated by local experts and approved by the Pharmacy & Poisons Board of Hong Kong.