Japan may double budget for device/drug safety
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The Japanese ministry of health, labour and welfare (MHLW) is requesting a 4% increase in its total budget, to bring it to ¥22,951.5bn ($212.91bn) for the next fiscal year, beginning in April 2009. The ministry wants the budget for device and drug safety surveillance to be more than doubled to around ¥1.4bn. It also wants more money to continue to expand the number of reviewers at the regulatory body, the PMDA.