[Press Release, Jun 30, 2020 / unofficial translation]


Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to cooperate with the European Medicines Agency on development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines
- Signs ad-hoc confidentiality arrangement to share information on COVID-19 diagnostics, prevention, and treatments


□ The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS; Minister Lee, Eui-Kyung) announced that it has signed an ad-hoc arrangement with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which ensures confidentiality in the mutual exchange of information on medicines used for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19 and related infectious diseases.

○ The arrangement is meaningful in that it has established a close information exchange system for confidential information such as clinical trial and examination data, and safety issues of medicines currently used or under development for the treatment of COVID-19.


□ Meanwhile, the leaders of Korea and the European Union (EU) will hold a video summit meeting on June 30 to discuss ways to cooperate in health and quarantine related to COVID-19 and to promote international collaboration for the development of vaccines and treatments.


□ Minister Lee, Eui-Kyung said, "we will support the fast development of treatments and vaccines through mutual cooperation in the face of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the arrangement will serve as a stepping stone to signing a formal confidentiality pact in the future, which would further solidify the cooperative relationship."