TEHRAN- Iran became the new observer of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), the Health Ministry announced in a report published on Saturday.

According to the report, Iran is the very first country in the region to join ICH.

ICH is a project that brings together the regulatory authorities of Europe, Japan and the United States and experts from the pharmaceutical industry in the three regions to discuss scientific and technical aspects of pharmaceutical product registration.

ICH is a project that brings together the regulatory authorities of Europe, Japan and the United States and experts from the pharmaceutical industry in the three regions to discuss scientific and technical aspects of pharmaceutical product registration.According to the ICH report on November 23, over the ICH meeting on 10-15 November in Charlotte, USA, Iran was appointed as the organization’s new observer while Iranian Food and Drug Administration will be the appointed National Regulatory Authority (NRA).  

After this affiliation, ICH is now constituted by sixteen Members and twenty-eight Observers. 

According to the Health Ministry, joining ICH will facilitate exports of medicine to other countries. Furthermore, applying the ICH standards to different stages of pharmaceutical product registration including regulatory and industrial procedures will enhance the quality of medicines produced in the country.

Joining ICH will also lead to more effective communication with other regulatory agencies across the world and will initiate new activities in medical sector both locally and internationally.

SJ/MQ/MG