MHRA joins international partnerships to set global standards for medicines and medical devices regulation

The UK is set to play a greater international role in making sure medicines and medical devices are regulated safely and efficiently worldwide, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced after being accepted as a full member of three international work-sharing partnerships.

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.

Through these partnerships, the MHRA will 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.

Read full story

Source: Gov.uk, 16 June 2022