Eliza began reporting on health and medical science in 2018 while completing her Master’s degree in Journalism at City, University of London. During her degree program she interned at C+D and on the London Evening Standard’s health desk. In the years since, Eliza has written about everything from mid-stage drug development to market access for medicines and devices in the EU and beyond. Her work explores the trials and tribulations of securing reimbursement for medical products in Europe, and Eliza is particularly interested in the challenges of funding innovation in health care. Eliza has lived in London since 2017 and is originally from Cheshire, in the north west of England. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Manchester and is in the process of completing a second undergraduate degree in Biomedicine from Birkbeck College, an evening university that is part of the University of London.
Latest from Eliza Slawther
The UK branded drug industry is calling for adjustments to be made to the UK voluntary scheme framework for branded medicines, after the payment rate increased to 22.9% for 2025. Meanwhile, the generics industry says the scheme is functioning “as intended” and opposes any changes.
Not all companies will be able to access joint scientific consultations under the EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation, but success is still possible for those that engage with national agencies early on, says EUCOPE’s Alexander Natz.
Payers and health technology assessment bodies in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy are either unwilling to use real-world data in assessments or cannot due to their existing frameworks, say representatives from Gilead Sciences and Autolus Therapeutics.
The Clinical Trials Regulation was “supposed to harmonize” requirements in the EU, but instead it is giving some countries the chance to get ahead by offering faster approval timelines, notes Telethon’s head of regulatory affairs.
Companies have until 17 March to respond to an EU consultation on a new strategy that will seek to simplify the regulatory framework and make it easier for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises to “access the capital they need” to scale up in the bloc.
An enhanced role for patients in the European Medicines Agency was a key proposal within the EU pharmaceutical legislation overhaul – but patient groups warn this provision could be scrapped or weakened due to ongoing negotiations.