The German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, have agreed to work together more closely in the area of therapeutic products. On 7 January, the President of the BfArM, Professor Walter Schwerdtfeger and the Director of Swissmedic, Mr Jürg H. Schnetzer, signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

For some years, Swissmedic has been endeavouring to improve collaboration with foreign partner authorities in the therapeutic products sector. In accordance with its service mandate for 2011 - 2015 from the Federal Council, Swissmedic is tasked with intensifying international collaboration, and in particular with the authorities of the European Union.

Two agreements already exist: with the Paul-Ehrlich Institut (PEI) in Germany and with the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) in Ireland. Closer collaboration between the two institutions is also in the interests of the BfArM, since any collaboration between therapeutic products authorities contributes towards protecting the health of citizens.

The MoU on closer collaboration between the BfArM and Swissmedic takes the multi-faceted, close bilateral relationship that already exists into account. Against the backdrop of the increasingly globalised development and production of therapeutic products, a constantly changing regulatory environment and new technological and scientific developments, the pooling of resources and capacities by means of enhanced international collaboration is a positive move.

In addition to the exchange of information between the BfArM and Swissmedic, the objective of the MoU is therefore to foster understanding of each institution's regulatory framework conditions, requirements and processes, and to launch concrete initiatives for collaboration. The MoU creates a formal basis for the existing solid collaboration between the two authorities.