21/11/2017
The prestigious European Medicine Agency (EMA) is to relocate from London to Amsterdam because of Brexit.
The EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation of medicines in the EU. EMA’s purpose is to provide independent recommendations on medicines for human and veterinary use, based on a comprehensive scientific evaluation of data. Its activities include assessing whether to provide marketing approval for new medicines in the EU, and monitoring safety of medicines across their lifetime. EMA therefore has a key role in giving patients in the EU access to new medicine.
EMA is presently located in Canary Wharf, London, and there was fierce competition from 18 EU cities, including Copenhagen and Milan, to host EMA following Brexit. On 20th November 2017, 27 of the EU foreign affairs ministers decided to award the prize to Amsterdam.
It is planned that the move will take place by 30 March 2019. It will be interesting to see if there is much disruption to ongoing drug trials or disruption caused by staff losses associated with the move.
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
