EMA releases new experts database
Takes another step towards proving its independence
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has taken another step towards proving its independence when consulting experts with connections to the pharmaceutical sector.
The agency has launched a database of EMA-approved experts allowing the public to check their declarations of interests.
The database covers all specialists ‘nominated by competent authorities for medicines regulation across the European Union to be involved in the agency’s activities’.
EMA said the database would help people scrutinise its conflict of interest procedures, where the agency appoints an expert to a working party after considering risks of bias.
‘Experts are assigned corresponding risk levels, with direct interests leading to the highest risk level. According to the risk level assigned, involvement of the expert may be restricted or even excluded,’ said EMA.
The 5,000-expert database is incomplete however: declaration of interest forms have thus far only been received and published for around half the entries.