The seminar "New regulatory tools: systematic reviews, patient involvement and health communication - a more coherent continuum? The contribution of Alessandro Liberati and Cochrane Italia to the approval of new drugs and vaccines", organized by AIFA, took place on Thursday 27 January. and broadcast live on the Agency's YouTube channel.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is widely acknowledged as the most influential revolution occurred in medicine over the past decades, by introducing a novel approach and methodology for the production and analysis of high-quality information to guide decision-making both in the regulatory field and in clinical practice.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of Alessandro Liberati – an outstanding advocate of EBM, of the role of independent research and patient involvement – we take this seminar as an opportunity to discuss the contribution of EBM to the current regulatory framework with particular reference to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants: Andrew David Oxman, Research Director of the Centre for Epidemic Interventions Research - Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Holger Schünemann, Director of the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact - Cochrane Canada and McMaster Grade Centre, Nicola Magrini, AIFA Director General and Patrizia Popoli, ISS - Chair of AIFA’s CTS.

The webinar was held in English with simultaneous translation available in Italian.