While it is still early days, the European Medicines Agency’s adoption of a stricter policy regarding requests by companies for extended clock-stops during the review of their initial marketing authorization applications (MAA) is yielding positive outcomes.
EMA’s Tougher Stance On Substandard Filings Shows Early Success
Insight obtained by the Pink Sheet relating to the European Medicines Agency’s stricter approach to requests for clock-stop extension shows that refusals have not led to any companies withdrawing their marketing applications. On the contrary, companies were able to provide responses within the agreed timeframe after all.

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Newly published insights from a series of European Medicines Agency workshops can guide drug developers in designing development plans that meet the needs of both regulators and health technology assessment bodies.
The weight management drug, Mysimba, continues to demonstrate a positive benefit-risk balance but the data available are not sufficient to fully determine the cardiovascular safety beyond 12 months. Meanwhile, Currax this month announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study of Mysimba that followed patients for over 4.7 years and found no evidence of excess cardiovascular risk.
This is an update of recommendations from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on the authorization of new medicines in the EU, and updates on EU marketing authorization changes recommended by the CHMP.
The European Medicines Agency has recommended five drugs for EU-wide approval , including Averoa’s Xoanacyl for concomitant hyperphosphatemia. Two companies have withdrawn their marketing authorization applications.
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While the pharma industry appears to be exempt from US tariffs imposed by President Trump, a member of the UK House of Lords says the details are unknown and warned that uncertainty “leads to less investment” in business as a whole.
The EU Clinical Trials Information System has achieved primary registry designation in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform in a move that is expected to reduce regulatory burden for companies and help them lower compliance costs by aligning with publication requirements in medical journals.
The UK government has listened to industry concerns about high clawback rates under the voluntary scheme and will review it in June in a bid to resolve the issue and “move on to bigger and more important things,” health secretary Wes Streeting says.