Premarket Regulation of Tissue Engineered Medical Products in China

Tissue engineered medical products (TEMPs) use state-of-the-art technologies and offer the patients with alternative clinical options for diseases that conventional treatments may fail or be incompetent. However promising, this technology is comparatively new with very limited hands-on experiences with both manufacturing and clinical therapy. Of great significance to products with such complexity and novelty is the establishment of a complete jurisdiction framework and a standardization database so that the safety of the technique in clinical treatment can be ensured. Although different regulatory routes are adopted in different countries, risks are generally considered to be derived from the cellular components within the product, the material scaffolds, and potentially from the final products. This article is to provide an insight of the regulatory considerations and the role of China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in the supervision of TEMPs.