Posted by Michael Wonder on 20 Jul 2017
EU watchdog concerned drug agency EMA may be too close to companies
19 July 2017 - The EMA, eager to accelerate access to promising new drugs, may be getting too cosy with the pharmaceutical companies it regulates.
That is the concern of the watchdog charged with overseeing administrative irregularities in the European Union, which is launching a strategic inquiry to see if early-stage interactions with firms could influence agency approval decisions.
The probe by the European Ombudsman will focus on meetings and discussions between drugmakers and agency officials before a new medicine is formally submitted for regulatory approval.
