Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Clinical Trial Regulations in European Union (EU) Countries

For clinical trials in European Union countries, the regulations are mainly based on:



According to EU Directive 2001/83/EC, “All clinical trials, conducted within the European Community, must comply with the requirements of Directive 2001/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use. To be taken into account during the assessment of an application, clinical trials, conducted outside the European Community, which relate to medicinal products intended to be used in the European Community, shall be designed, implemented and reported on what good clinical practice and ethical principles are concerned, on the basis of principles, which are equivalent to the provisions of Directive 2001/20/EC. They shall be carried out in accordance with the ethical principles that are reflected, for example, in the Declaration of Helsinki.

There are two updates to the Directive 2001/20/EC:
  • COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2005/28/EC of 8 April 2005 laying down principles and detailed guidelines for good clinical practice as regards investigational medicinal products for human use, as well as the requirements for authorisation of the manufacturing or importation of such products
  • 2012/0192 (COD)  Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use, and repealing Directive 2001/20/EC


The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is the closest counterpart of US FDA and is the main body in EU to provide the regulatory guidelines for conducting clinical trials.
“The European Medicines Agency relies on the results of clinical trials carried out by pharmaceutical companies to reach its opinions on the authorisation of medicines. Although the authorisation of clinical trials occurs at Member State level, the Agency plays a key role in ensuring that the standards of good clinical practice (GCP) are applied across the European Economic Area in cooperation with the Member States. It also manages a database of clinical trials carried out in the European Union.”
The Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) is a network of the Heads of the National Competent Authorities whose organisations are responsible for the regulation of Medicinal Products for human and veterinary use in the European Economic Area. The Heads of Medicines Agencies is supported by working groups covering specific areas of responsibility and by the Heads of Medicines Agencies Management Group and Permanent Secretariat.
The Heads of Medicines Agencies co-operates with the European Medicines Agency and the European Commission in the operation of the European Medicines Regulatory Network (“the Network”).



Some of the guidelines are listed below with comparison to the corresponding FDA guidance.

EMA
FDA








Other EU regulatory guidelines that I have been exposed to are:

3 comments:

Ramona said...

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Anonymous said...

Very well done

Jacobwately@yahoo.com said...

Thanks for sharing.Nice post

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