Access Consortium's three-year strategy ensure faster access to safe medicine

The Access Consortium has unveiled plans to maximise collaboration to ensure its populations can have faster access to safe, effective, and high-quality medicines.

Representing a total of 150 million people, the Access Consortium has published a three-year strategy that aims to align regulatory approaches and policies to facilitate work-sharing on medicines.

Originally consisting of Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland, the United Kingdom through the MHRA joined the group this year to bolster its international links, optimise synergies and reduce duplication of work. Members of the medium-sized regulators will now implement the plan designed to maximise collaboration by sharing scientific expertise and aligning regulatory approaches.

Since the group was created in 2017, 12 medicine submissions have been evaluated, 16 medicines are currently under review and seven further applications are anticipated this year.

Director of MHRA Licensing Division, Dr Siu Ping Lam, said: "Our future vision reduces duplication of work for industry, increases each agency’s capacity by aligning like-minded regulators in work-sharing, and enhances efficiency between Access Consortium countries, which means our patients have timely access to safe, effective and high quality health products.

The plan sets out a range of objectives, including capturing lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic to innovate together and improve work-sharing. It highlights the increasing importance of regulatory innovation as health products evolve, increase in complexity, and become more personalised.