Health Ministry Statement on Israel-US Health Agreement

During a visit to Washington, Health Minister Ephraim Sneh and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala extended an existing health agreement by additional five years. The agreement also covered FDA recognition of clinical tests carried out in Israel and approval of new Israeli drugs. Text:

Health Minister Ephraim Sneh and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, signed a joint cooperation agreement between the U.S. and Israel in the health field. The agreement, signed over the weekend, extends a previous agreement by five years. Shalala responded to Sneh's request for American surplus medical research equipment to be transferred to Israel. Sneh announced that he hopes the agreement will save millions of dollars for research institutions in Israel.

Sneh also met with Dr. Kessler, head of the American Food and Drug Administration and the two reached an agreement to increase joint cooperation between the Health Ministry and the FDA. Dr. Kessler agreed to Sneh's request that the FDA recognize clinical experiments undertaken in Israel. "This declaration, which will be made after a visit in September by an FDA review delegation in Israel, will encourage foreign companies to invest in clinical trials in Israel," said Sneh. Minister Sneh and Dr. Kessler also agreed that the FDA would transfer to the Health Ministry the experimental and test findings used for approval of new drugs. This transfer of information will shorten the approval process for new drugs in Israel. Minister Sneh also asked the FDA head to speed up approval for Teva's new drug, "Copaxone," which was developed in Israel and is intended for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.