Ireland reiterates bid to host the European Medicines Agency

Ireland has stepped up its bid to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with the official announcement being delivered and reiterated by Minister of Health, Simon Harris over the past week.

The next step will now see Dublin scrutinized closely, particularly in regard to its regulatory capability. Ireland’s strength lies in the close relationship that the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has established with the EMA and the wider network of medicines regulatory agencies throughout the European Union. The HPRA has been an integral part of this regulatory system since the EMA was founded more than two decades ago.

The link with a country’s regulator will be an important consideration when the EU comes to decide on the EMA’s next location. Which is expected to be required as a result of the UK#s Brexit decision. The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) contributes significantly to the processes that the EMA runs on an EU level. The result is a strong, established working relationship that will need to be replicated with the future host country of the EMA.