From Sept 21 to 24, Huang Guo, commissioner of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), led a delegation to the UK for a working visit at the invitation of the British side, in an effort to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of China and the UK and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in pharmaceutical regulation between the two countries.

During the visit, Huang held talks with Anthony Harnden, chair of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA. They exchanged views on topics including drug clinical trials, drug inspections, pharmacovigilance and AI-enabled medical device regulation, and reached a consensus on further deepening cooperation.

Both sides agreed that the drug regulatory authorities of the two countries should work together to promote the development of the pharmaceutical industry and jointly address disease challenges. After the talks, China's NMPA and the UK's MHRA signed a letter of intent for cooperation, agreeing to gradually enhance mutual trust by continuously deepening mutual understanding.

During the visit, the delegation also held a symposium with representatives from government departments, industry associations and enterprises in the UK's life sciences sector to present China's drug regulatory policies and solicit the opinions and suggestions of British companies on China's drug regulation. The delegation also visited UK biomedical research institutions and pharmaceutical companies.