Chair and vice-chair elected to EU Committee on Advanced Therapies
This article was originally published in RAJ Devices
Christian Schneider of Germany’s Paul-Ehrlich-Institut and Anneli Salmikangas of Finland’s National Agency for Medicines have been elected chair and vice-chair respectively of the newly constituted Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) at the European Medicines Agency1. The posts will be held for a three-year period starting 12 February.
Established to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of advanced therapy medicinal products and to follow scientific developments in the field, the CAT held its first meeting on 15-16 January2,3.
Dr Schneider is a physician by training, specialising in immunology and rheumatology. He is presently head of division for EU cooperation/microbiology at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, in Langen, Germany. Dr Schneider said that, during his term as chair of CAT, he would work to establish the committee as a strong and internationally recognised panel that fosters innovative medicines and gathers scientific expertise and skills.
Dr Salmikangas, a biochemist by profession, is a senior researcher and responsible for marketing authorisations of biological medicinal products at Finland’s NAM.
Both Dr Schneider and Dr Salmikangas have been involved in EMEA activities over many years. Dr Schneider is a member of the agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and of its scientific advice working party; he also chairs the biosimilar medicinal products working party. Dr Salmikangas is the chair of the EMEA’s cell-based products working party and a member of the biologics working party.
References
1. EMEA press release, 16 February 2009, www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/human/advancedtherapies/8584509en.pdf
2. EMEA press release, 16 January 2009, www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/human/cat/786609en.pdf
3. The Regulatory Affairs Journal - Devices, 2009, 17(1), 51-52