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MHRA announces new routes for medicine approval via international partners

New regulatory recognition routes for medicines will be established using approvals from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, Singapore and the United States, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced.

This means that patients will have access to safe and effective medicines that have been approved by trusted regulatory partners in other countries. The new international recognition routes will sit alongside the MHRA’s own unique innovation pathway for medicines which integrates early regulatory advice with health technology assessment advice.

These recognition routes, which have been facilitated by existing international partnerships such as those developed through the Access Consortium and Project Orbis, mark the start of a new international recognition framework for medicines that will be in place by the first quarter of 2024.

The MHRA is also launching a consultation on a similar scheme for medical devices.

The new framework will allow the MHRA to make the most of the expertise and decision-making of trusted regulatory partners to streamline assessments of specific products. As a result, cutting-edge medicines that have been approved in other countries will get to UK patients more quickly, with cost reductions and streamlined regulatory processes for industry.

As a sovereign regulator, the UK regulator will still be responsible for approving all ‘recognition route’ applications under the new framework, ensuring that all products are safe and of sufficient quality to be licensed in the UK. The MHRA will maintain rigorous scrutiny and retain the authority to reject applications if the evidence provided is considered insufficiently robust.

At the time of the UK’s exit from the European Union, the MHRA introduced temporary routes to market for European approved products in Great Britain, known as EU ‘reliance’ routes, to ensure that patients could continue to have timely access to new treatments. These temporary routes are due to expire at the end of 2023.

While the international recognition routes announced today focus on medicines, work is underway to establish similar routes for medical devices. As part of this ongoing work, the MHRA will launch a new targeted consultation on medical devices that will gather views on a wide range of topics, including recognising conformity assessments or approvals from international regulatory partners.

Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said: “We are focused on providing UK patients faster access to the absolute best, most cutting-edge, and safest medical treatments. By fast-tracking access to approved products from other countries, we’re ensuring that innovative healthcare solutions reach those in need without delay.

The introduction of the new routes will complement the work being done through the MHRA’s Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), establishing an additional avenue for accelerated access to life-saving new medicines.”

 

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USCAP 113th Annual Meeting

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
23-28 March, 2024

Pathology Horizons 2024

MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath
18-20 April, 2024

Diagnostics North East Conference 2024

The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne
19 April, 2024

ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Fira Gran Via, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
27-30 April 2024

British Society for Microbial Technology Annual Microbiology Conference

UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London
2 May 2024

EQA Reports: Interpreting Key Information & Troubleshooting Tips

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