The Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG) held, on Wednesday 11 May, its first formal meeting.
The MSSG was created in connection with the strengthening of the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2022 through the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2022/123 (see EUROPE12873A33). It is responsible for strengthening the European response to problems affecting the supply, quality, safety or efficacy of critical medicines and medical devices in the event of a major event or public health crisis. The MSSG may issue recommendations to Member States or the European Commission to prevent or remedy shortages.
This new group is composed of representatives from the Member States, the EMA and the European Commission. Two observers ensure the participation of civil society. The group is co-chaired by Emer Cooke, the Executive Director of the EMA, and Karl Broich, who chairs the network of Heads of Medicines Agencies.
At the first meeting, in addition to adopting some operational decisions, the MSSG also discussed the availability of medicines in the context of the Russian military aggression of Ukraine. It dealt with the development of the list of critical medicines for public health emergencies, in this case a list of critical medicines to deal with SARS-CoV-2. This list will be updated annually. In addition, the discussion focused on updated scientific considerations on Covid-19. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)