President Nisticò: ‘Important recognition of the Agency's professionalism, present in key roles on the European regulatory scene’.

The role of the Italian Medicines Agency on the European regulatory scene is strengthened. Paolo Foggi, Head of AIFA's Innovation and Pharmaceutical Strategy Department, has been confirmed as Chairman of the European Medicines Agency's Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP), a strategic working group that provides scientific advice for the development and testing of new medicines. Foggi has held this position since March 2022, and the members of the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) renewed their trust in him for a further 3-year term, re-electing him during the last meeting.

 ‘I would like to congratulate Dr. Foggi, who has been called upon for the second time to cover a prestigious and highly committed role,’ says AIFA President Robert Nisticò. ’The renewal of this appointment represents an important recognition of the work carried out by Foggi in recent years, but also of the skills and professionalism expressed by the Agency, which is present in the most important working groups and committees. Thanks to these skills and professionalism, Italy is increasingly participating in the activities of the EMA and playing a leading role in the European regulatory system. One of the objectives of my mandate is to strengthen AIFA's relations with the European Medicines Agency, the Agencies of other countries and other international bodies, and to further increase Italian participation in the centralised medicine evaluation procedures’.

 ‘I am honoured by the trust placed in me by the CHMP and aware of the great responsibility. In a complex international context, in which Europe objectively needs to regain competitiveness, there is a need for a regulatory system capable of keeping pace with innovation – underlines Foggi – in order to provide the production system with clear and timely answers and thus guarantee the availability of effective and safe medicines to European citizens. I confirm my full commitment to contribute to the achievement of these goals, knowing that I can count on the support of the Agency and all my European colleagues'.

The SAWP is a group of more than 60 experts from medicines agencies in the European network, providing scientific advice on different aspects of drug development with the aim of ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of new medicines and, at the same time, accelerating their availability to patients. The advisory activity allows intervention at the earliest stages of the development process, on the basis of the strongest scientific evidence available. The SAWP also offers support on new technologies, endpoints and innovative methods applied in drug development through qualification advice.