Introduction:
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reported on the progress of the European Medicines Agencies Network Strategy (EMANS), which aims to ensure the availability of medicines during health threats. The EMA highlighted the importance of digital technologies in safeguarding drug and vaccine supplies and fostering manufacturing innovation.
- Digital manufacturing technologies lead to more robust and flexible processes, ensuring the continuity of supply of safe and effective medicines.
- The use of innovative technologies in the pharmaceutical industry has increased in the past three years, with more companies using digital technology to track products through supply chains.
- The EMA’s quality innovation group (QIG) has positively impacted manufacturing innovation through discussions on topics such as continuous manufacturing, decentralized manufacturing, AI, and digitalization.
- The EMA is collaborating with the U.S. FDA on an aligned regulatory framework to support innovation in manufacturing.
- The EMA is investing in experimentation with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to optimize regulatory work.
Conclusion:
The EMA’s progress report on EMANS emphasizes the importance of digital technologies in ensuring the availability of medicines during health threats. The use of digital manufacturing technologies and collaborations with regulatory bodies aim to enhance the continuity of drug and vaccine supplies and foster innovation in manufacturing processes.