Head of MFDS "Actively Supporting COVID-19 Treatment Development"

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Lee Ui-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (photo), stated on the 23rd, "We will communicate with experts and provide practical support with related ministries to ensure that the development of pharmaceuticals in preparation for public health crisis situations can proceed swiftly."

On the same day, Commissioner Lee visited the National Medical Center in Seoul and held a meeting with members of the Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases, expressing these remarks. The Central Clinical Committee is a consultative body composed of medical staff and clinical experts from related hospitals for the treatment of patients with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). It consists of a total of 68 members, including the National Medical Center, which is in charge of the central infectious disease hospital, and Seoul National University Hospital.

Commissioner Lee conveyed that he will cooperate to develop new treatments to ensure that frontline medical staff can treat COVID-19 patients without disruption, while also improving the system. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has enabled clinical trials involving COVID-19 patients to proceed quickly by conducting or integrating phased trials to reduce the required time. Multi-center clinical trials can be conducted promptly with the approval of a single institution, and the patient consent procedure has been simplified to allow consent via phone or voice recording.

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