Access Consortium regulators pledge support to tackle COVID-19

To address this worldwide public health crisis, Access Consortium members are collaborating to advance the regulatory science needed to support the rapid development of diagnostic tests, as well as vaccines and treatments against COVID-19. Members are committed to sharing vital information as we all investigate and evaluate medical products for quality, safety and efficacy, and strive to ensure that the benefits of any new medical product outweigh its risks.

During these unprecedented times, the Consortium is building on its proven ability to benefit from work-sharing that has recently led to the approval of numerous medicines. Consortium members remain committed to review and collaborate on COVID-19 vaccine candidates and treatment options, with the goal of expediting their review and availability on the market. Through this partnership, Access will reduce regulatory duplication and increase each agency’s capacity to ensure that, globally, there is access to high-quality, safe and effective solutions to address the COVID-19 emergency.

We remain committed to work together to find innovative solutions to counter COVID-19, the largest, most severe and most complex international disease outbreak in a generation.

Notes

• The Access Consortium was formed in 2007 by ‘like-minded’ regulatory authorities to promote greater regulatory collaboration and alignment of regulatory requirements.

• The Consortium was initially formed by the regulatory authorities from Australia (Therapeutic Goods Administration), Canada (Health Canada), Singapore (Health Sciences Authority), and Switzerland (Swissmedic). More recently, the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency joined the Consortium.

• Its goal is to maximise international cooperation, reduce duplication, and increase each agency’s capacity to ensure consumers have timely access to high quality, safe and effective therapeutic products.