Professor Anthony Harnden has taken up the position as Chair of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), from January 2025.
Anthony is a Professor of Primary Care at the University of Oxford. He worked for the NHS for 40 years and notably will bring 33 years’ experience of working directly with patients during his time as general practitioner in Wheatley, Oxfordshire.
He was previously Deputy Chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and played a key role in ensuring public trust and patient safety during the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Immediately prior to his new position at the MHRA he was a registrant council member of the General Medical Council and Chair of the Remuneration Committee.
He succeeds former MHRA Chair Stephen Lightfoot, who served from September 2020 and stepped down in 2023.
In his first 100 days, Anthony’s priority will be talking and listening to staff and partner organisations so he can gain a strong understanding of how to drive forward the strategic direction of the MHRA to maintain the UK as a global centre of excellence in life sciences, in the best interests of patients and the public.
Anthony will be particularly focused on helping the MHRA: protect patient safety through robust safety surveillance systems; embrace risk-proportionate regulation; and foster an inclusive workplace where people flourish.
Professor Anthony Harnden said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be appointed by ministers to be the next MHRA Chair. I am looking forward to making a contribution to the future successes of the organisation. I will use my experience in healthcare and regulation to help the MHRA deliver its strategic priorities - keeping patients safe and enabling timely access to new medicines and technologies.”