Israel
Ministry of Health — Pharmaceutical Administration (MoH / IMA)
Israel is regulated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) — Pharmaceutical Administration (Minhal HaRokchut, often abbreviated 'IMA' for Israeli Medicines Agency) headquartered in Jerusalem. The framework is set by the Pharmacists Ordinance (New Version) 5741-1981 and the Pharmacists Regulations (Preparations) 5746-1986, with detailed MoH Procedures (Nohalim) governing registration, variations, GMP, clinical trials and pharmacovigilance. Israel is a PIC/S full member (since 2009) and a recognised reference regulator under several reliance frameworks abroad. Effective 23 March 2025, the MoH launched a major Drug Registration Reform that consolidates and expands the historical 'recognised regulators' route into formal accelerated reliance tracks. Israel relies on assessments from a defined list of recognised regulatory authorities (US FDA, EMA, MHRA, Swissmedic, Health Canada, TGA, PMDA) for both new chemical entities and biologics. Submissions to the Pharmaceutical Administration are in Hebrew or English; the MoH operates the Israeli Drug Registry (israeldrugs.health.gov.il). Reimbursement is governed by the National Health Insurance Law 5754-1994 through the annual 'Sal HaBriut' (Health Basket) update — a structured HTA-style process led by the MoH Drug Basket Committee (Va'adat Sal HaTrufot) that ranks new technologies under a fixed annual budget allocated by the government. The four health funds (Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, Leumit) deliver the basket on a capitated basis.
About the authority
The Pharmaceutical Administration (Minhal HaRokchut) within the MoH is responsible for the registration, surveillance and pharmacovigilance of medicinal products. Key units include the Institute for Standardization and Control of Pharmaceuticals (ISCP — national OMCL for batch release of biologics and vaccines), the Department for Registration of Medicinal Products, the Pharmacovigilance and Drug Information Department, and the Inspection and Enforcement Branch (GMP/GDP). Submissions and listings are managed through the Israeli Drug Registry (israeldrugs.health.gov.il). Clinical trials are authorised by the MoH Clinical Trials Department under the Public Health Regulations (Clinical Trials in Human Subjects) 5741-1980.
Reliance & recognition
Israel operates a long-standing reliance framework for products already approved by recognised regulatory authorities (RRA). The 2025 Drug Registration Reform formalised and expanded this into accelerated reliance tracks, including an 'express' route (≈ 100–120 days) when a product is approved by two or more RRAs and the dossier is identical. Reliance applies to NCEs, biologics and biosimilars.
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