EU adopts harmonised regulation on health technology assessment

A new harmonised regulation on health technology assessment has been adopted across the EU. The new regulation aims to allow vital and innovative health technologies - such as innovative medicines, certain medical devices, medical equipment and prevention and treatment methods - to be more widely available. EU commissioner for health and food safety, Stella Kyriakides, said: “I am very pleased that today, after years of hard work, new rules to ensure that patients have better access to innovative medicines and medical devices will soon be a reality in the EU. “Now health experts, the producers, and most importantly of all – patients, will have a new framework that will help us to address unmet medical needs and facilitate access to innovative medicines and some high-risk medical devices.