The European Medicines Agency (EMEA), the regulatory body for medicines in the old continent, is launching an internal reorganisation. In fact, a series of changes is envisaged, which will be implemented gradually until next December, all aimed at improving the functionality of the Agency. In line with its growing responsibilities, the EMEA has developed in recent years in terms of staff and activities. The number of scientific committees and the complexity of procedures has grown and the cross-relation between the various working groups now needs to be improved. Furthermore, in the future there will be more and more responsibilities for the body, as confirmed by the legislative proposals under discussion in Europe. The reorganization provides above all that the management of the entire life cycle of medicines for human use will be managed by a single unit, called "Human Medicines Development and Evaluation" and led by Patrick Le Courtois. The division will take care of the development, authorization and post-marketing phase of all products.
Pharmacist33 – 21 October 2009 – Year 5, Number 179
