The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced Monday, 26 March its Management Board has endorsed a proposal from EMA Executive Director Guido Rasi to strengthen conflict of interest policies surrounding its scientific committee members and experts.

The Management Board also adopted several other initiatives, including a transparency initiative to "increase the transparency of all pharmacovigilance activities of the Agency and national authorities" while implementing the new pharmacovigilance legislation.

Among the other initiatives adopted:

• distinctions are made between conflicts involving academic/public research and conflicts involving pharmaceutical industry
• a new "breach of trust" procedure for participants falsely declaring no conflicts of interest
• additional checks on the accuracy of declared conflicts of interest

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EMA - European Medicines Agency Management Board strengthens conflicts of interest policies and transparency