The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
and partners across Northern Ireland led by the Department of
Health in Northern Ireland are pleased to confirm a strengthened
programme of collaboration designed to support innovation,
enhance patient safety and ensure people in Northern Ireland
continue to benefit from world-class regulation of medicines and
medical technologies.
As part of this growing partnership:
We will expand the use and visibility of the MHRA Yellow
Card scheme across Northern Ireland, building on
existing work to strengthen surveillance of medicines and medical
devices. This enhanced focus will support earlier detection of
safety issues and reinforce our shared commitment to protecting
patients.
We will continue to work together with Northern Ireland
partners to ensure participation
in cutting-edge research, accelerating the
development of new therapies and reinforcing our shared ambition
to improve health outcomes through evidence-based
innovation.
We will establish an MHRA presence in Northern
Ireland, providing a clear point of contact for local
partners and supporting closer partnerships and engagement with
industry, academia and the health system.
We will explore opportunities for the development of
regulatory science and innovation in Northern Ireland,
recognising the potential value this support could bring to
clinical and regulatory science collaboration.
Together, these actions mark a significant step in deepening our
partnership, supporting innovation in Northern Ireland's life
sciences sector and ensuring the highest standards of
safety to make a positive impact in patients' lives.
This statement builds on commitments to collaborate
that emerged from the first ever MHRA Board meeting
held in Belfast in November 2025, co-chaired by MHRA Chair
Professor Anthony Harnden and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for
Northern Ireland, Professor Cathy Harrison.
It demonstrates the MHRA's commitment to deepen
cross-UK partnerships with health partners in Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
