EU & UK pharma leaders write to Brexit negotiators

In an unprecedented move, eight leaders from associations representing the entire EU and UK pharmaceutical sector have written a joint letter to chief Brexit negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis requesting that ongoing cooperation between the two territories for medicines be a negotiating priority. Securing an agreement between the EU and UK “is the best way of ensuring that patients across Europe and the UK are able to continue to access safe and effective medicines and to ensure that there is no adverse impact on public health,” the letter states. The industry is highly integrated across Europe and regulated under EU law “through a sophisticated system of legal and regulatory arrangements between EU institutions, Member States and national competent authorities,” it notes, adding: “It is important that there is as much certainty as possible, as early as possible, to enable the pharmaceutical and life science industry to transition smoothly into the new framework, ensuring there is no disruption to patient access to medicines”.