Many patients in Hong Kong are waiting to get access to new drugs. Only 20 to 50 medicines are registered each year. The University of Hong Kong stresses that in 2015 it takes two years for drugs to be approved, compared to 60 days in Singapore. This is caused by rigid and outdated regulations. Before giving their approval, the authorities wait for the same medicine to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency. According to the same source, approval by one international authority would be sufficient for the medicine to be approved in Hong Kong!
