From: Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency
The Access Consortium has unveiled plans to maximise
collaboration to ensure its populations can have faster access to
safe, effective and high-quality medicines.
Representing a total of 150 million people, the Access Consortium
has published a three-year strategy which aims to align
regulatory approaches and policies to facilitate work-sharing on
medicines.
Originally consisting of Australia, Canada, Singapore and
Switzerland, the United Kingdom through the MHRA joined the group
this year to bolster its international links, optimise synergies
and reduce duplication of work. Members of the medium-sized
regulators will now implement the plan designed to maximise
collaboration by sharing scientific expertise and aligning
regulatory approaches.
Since the group was created in 2017, 12 medicine submissions have
been evaluated, 16 medicines are currently under review and seven
further applications are anticipated this year.
Director of MHRA Licensing Division, Dr Siu Ping Lam, said:
Our future vision reduces duplication of work for industry,
increases each agency’s capacity by aligning like-minded
regulators in work-sharing, and enhances efficiency between
Access Consortium countries, which means our patients have timely
access to safe, effective and high quality health products.
The plan sets out a range of objectives, including capturing
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to innovate together
and improve work-sharing. It highlights the increasing importance
of regulatory innovation as health products evolve, increase in
complexity, and become more personalised.
For more information and to review the strategy, please see
here.
