MFDS Lays Foundation for Medical Cooperation with Central Asia

[Financial News] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is strengthening cooperation with Uzbekistan in the field of medical product regulation. This move aims to support the entry of domestic companies into the Central Asian market by enhancing their responsiveness to the local regulatory environment, amidst growing trade in medical products between the two countries.
MFDS announced on the 14th that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on regulatory cooperation in the medical product sector with the Center for Pharmaceutical Products Safety (CPPS) of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan. This agreement was pursued ahead of the Korea-Central Asia Summit to be held on the 16th.
The Center for Pharmaceutical Products Safety of Uzbekistan is a state agency under the Ministry of Health responsible for the registration review and approval of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as quality and safety management and post-market surveillance.
Through this MOU, the two organizations agreed to exchange information on laws, regulations, and policies related to medical products. They will also pursue the sharing of information on overall regulations, including the licensing, quality, and safety management of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Cooperation is also planned to enhance the capabilities of regulatory authorities in both countries and strengthen access to medical products through meetings between regulatory officials, mutual visits, consultations, and joint events.
This collaboration is also expected to aid domestic pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies in entering the Uzbekistan market. This is because the establishment of a foundation for direct cooperation with local regulatory agencies will enhance domestic companies' access to the information necessary to understand and respond to local licensing, quality, and safety management systems.
In fact, trade in medical products between Korea and Uzbekistan is also increasing. Korea's exports of pharmaceuticals to Uzbekistan increased by 48% from approximately $3.19 million in 2021 to approximately $4.73 million in 2025. Exports of medical devices increased approximately 3.1-fold during the same period, from approximately $10.56 million to $32.91 million.
MFDS expects that this MOU will enhance the predictability of the local regulatory environment and enable the proactive resolution of regulatory difficulties faced by domestic companies.
"This MOU is significant in that it lays the foundation for enhancing understanding and trust regarding medical product regulations between the two countries and expanding regulatory cooperation," said Oh Yu-kyung, Minister of Food and Drug Safety. "We will strengthen cooperation with regulatory authorities in major emerging markets, including Uzbekistan, to actively support our companies in resolving regulatory difficulties and expanding into overseas markets."
MFDS plans to continuously expand cooperation with regulatory authorities in major countries to enhance the global competitiveness of domestic medical products.

[email protected] Jeong Sang-hee Reporter