Press Release: Closer ties on medicines safety between EU and Japan

The European Union and Japan will from now on be able to exchange confidential information about the authorisation and safety of medicines. Confidentiality arrangements have been agreed between the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) on the one side and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) on the other at a bilateral meeting in Tokyo. The partners will be able to exchange confidential information, for instance on safety issues with marketed medicines and products being developed or considered for authorisation.