Regulations on cell therapy products in China: a brief history and current status

This report describes changes to cell therapy research and clinical practice in China as a result of guidelines from the central government finalized at the end of 2017. The tables list Chinese authorities and regulations on human cells for medical research over the years 1993–2018. Under the new regulations, cell therapy products (CTPs) are treated like drugs, in alignment with policy in the USA and European Union. At civil institutions in China, there are now two pathways for human clinical trials: research versus pharmaceutical development. At the end of 2018, trials of CTPs were only authorized at 114 approved hospitals. It is hoped that the new policies will help CTPs developed in China gain acceptance by health regulators in the west.