Chairs of WHO/Europe Access to Novel Medicines Platform (NMP) have been anounced

At the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in September 2022 it was agreed to establish a formal stakeholder collaboration platform – the WHO/Europe Access to Novel Medicines Platform (NMP). The aim of the platform is to identify concrete actions, including pilot proposals, to improve affordable and equitable patient access to effective, novel, high-cost medicines in the Region. In order to achieve this goal, specific objectives have been defined which will be  further elaborated in three working groups: (1) Transparency, (2) Solidarity, and (2) Sustainability. The objectices and particularly the results of those working groups will be  subject to consultation with stakeholders to ensure that all relevant perspectives and concerns are considered. In August WHO/Europe has disclosed the names of the new chairs of the NMP’s three working groups, and the EURIPID collaboration is very proud that EURIPID’s chair of the Executive Committe, Francis Arickx from the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) , will chair Working Group 1 on Transparency. This group will focus on reaching agreement on what information can be made more transparent and identifying key indicators that improve and standardise the collection, analysis and use of metrics on patients’ access to novel, cost-effective medicines. Since EURIPID is engaged in improving transparency since its start, the EURIPID collaboration is happy that future discussions in NMP will be shaped by one of its most experienced and knowledgable members!