§ Mr. DhandaTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations the UK has made to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency's review of anti-depressant drugs; [125636]
(2) what steps the UK's representatives to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency's review of anti-depressants have taken to represent the views of pharmaceutical companies; [125637]
(3) what his policy is on representatives of drug companies sitting o a public bodies which determine and review the safety of drugs for prescription to the public; [125638]
(4) what representations he has received on the UK members of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency; and whether he was consulted on their appointment. [125639]
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§ Miss Melanie JohnsonOn 12 June 2003, the United Kingdom referred the risks and benefits of the antidepressant Seroxat (paroxetine) to the European scientific committee, the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) for a Europe-wide evaluation. There are two UK representatives to the CPMP, who are appointed by Ministers, chosen by reason of their role and experience in the evaluation of medicinal products to represent the UK Licensing Authority.
The Medicines Act 1968 requires one of its advisory bodies, the Medicines Commission, to have at least one member with "wide and recent experience of, and shown capacity in" the pharmaceutical industry. There are currently two serving member; of the Medicines Commission who are employees of pharmaceutical companies. Advisory bodies do not make determinations on drug safety issues but rather advise the Licensing Authority which may, or may not, accept their advice.
All members of the Medicines Act Advisory committees are required to follow a code of practice relating to declarations of interests in the pharmaceutical industry. The code is rigorously followed at each meeting to ensure the integrity of the advice given to the Licensing Authority by those committees.