New Zealand's medicine approval agency has expedited its assessment process, with significant reductions in evaluation times.
According to the annual statistics released by Medsafe, in 2023-24, assessments for innovative new medicines took an average of 55 working days less than before. Evaluations for generic medicines were completed 45 working days faster than previously. Meanwhile, Medsafe met its timeframe targets for over-the-counter medicines at a rate of 100%.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour commended these improvements but emphasized the need for further streamlining to provide Kiwis with timely access to essential medications. He suggested implementing bespoke approval processes and adopting a new verification pathway, which would enable approvals within 30 days after overseas regulatory agencies give the green light.