MHRA joins international partnerships that set global standards

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been accepted as a full member of three international work-sharing partnerships.

Through these partnerships the agency said it will play vital international role in making sure medicines and medical devices are regulated safely and efficiently worldwide,

Two of these, the International Medical Device Regulatory Forum (IMDRF) and the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) are focused on improving the harmonisation and convergence of medicines and medical devices regulation globally.

The partnerships will also help the MHRA to share expertise with other leading organisations, support the development of regulatory guidelines and drive greater harmonisation of regulation around the world. This will help deliver timely access to innovative medical products not just in the UK but globally.

The MHRA has also been accepted as a member of the US-based Medical Devices Innovation Consortium (MDIC). This public-private partnership brings together representatives of regulatory bodies, industry, non-profits, and patient organisations from different countries to improve the processes for development, assessment, and review of new medical technologies.

This enables transformational medical technology to get to the people who need it sooner, by shortening the path from innovation to safety to access.

Dr Glenn Wells, Chief International and Partnerships Officer at the MHRA, said: “We are delighted to join these three international organizations to collaborate on regulatory alignment that will help deliver safer, innovative, and more cost-effective medicines and medical devices to the people who need them sooner.

“We are currently building a world-leading regime for regulating medicines and medical devices in the UK that prioritizes patient safety while fostering innovation, and we look forward to sharing expertise with partner organizations for the benefit of patients not just in the UK but worldwide.”