Professor Anthony Harnden appointed new MHRA chair

He succeeds former MHRA chair Stephen Lightfoot who stepped down in 2023

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has appointed Anthony Harnden, a professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, as its new Chair.

Professor Harnden brings decades of experience to the role. He has served the NHS for 40 years, including 33 years as a general practitioner in Wheatley, Oxfordshire.

Until the end of December 2024, he will also continue as a registrant council member of the General Medical Council and chair of the Remuneration Committee.

He previously served as deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), where he played a key role in ensuring public trust and patient safety during the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Professor Harnden succeeds Stephen Lightfoot, who served as MHRA chair from September 2020 until stepping down in 2023.

On his appointment, Professor Harnden said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be appointed by ministers to be the next MHRA chair. I am looking forward to making a contribution to the future successes of the organisation.

“I will use my experience in healthcare and regulation to help the MHRA deliver its strategic priorities - keeping patients safe and enabling timely access to new medicines and technologies.”

He will play a pivotal role in driving forward the strategic direction of MHRA to maintain the UK as a global centre of excellence in life sciences, in the best interests of patients and the public.

Health Minister Karin Smyth welcomed Anthony’s appointment, highlighting his extensive background in regulation and healthcare.

“The MHRA plays a vital role in ensuring the safe use of medicines, medical devices and blood transfusions across the UK and I look forward to working with Anthony as we reform our health service and make it fit for the future,” she said.

MHRA chief executive, Dr June Raine, added that Professor Harnden’s expertise across healthcare and academia will be invaluable in shaping the agency’s strategic direction to protect and promote public health.

Dr Raine also expressed gratitude to Amanda Calvert, Michael Whitehouse OBE, and Professor Graham Cooke, who co-chaired the MHRA Board on an interim basis since July 2023.

Richard Torbet, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), congratulated Professor Harnden on his new appointment.

About the new MHRA chair, Torbet said: “His significant experience and expertise within the health ecosystem, especially his time at the JCVI during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide a strong foundation on which to build his leadership of the MHRA.

“Professor Harnden’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the agency as it works to rebuild and strengthen its role as a global leader in medicines regulation.”

He added that ABPI is prepared to support him and the wider MHRA in continuing to deliver the highest UK quality and safety standards alongside timely patient access to new medicines and technologies.

The ABPI is set to release a new report featuring a series of recommendations aimed at helping rebuild the UK’s world-class reputation in regulatory science, medicines development and licensing.