The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been praised by Oxford University for fast-tracking the authorisation of the clinical trial application for the new Ebola vaccine.
Professor Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, said: “What the MHRA did was remarkable. They were superbly efficient in fast-tracking the approvals for this clinical trial, turning it round in under four days. It was crucial in being able to respond quickly to the great need seen in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.”
Dr Ian Hudson, chief executive at MRHA, said: “Our priority is to protect public health. Given the importance of Ebola as a risk to public health in some countries in Africa, we fast-tracked the review of the clinical trial application for this vaccine so that it was assessed and authorised by the MHRA’s experts in just four working days.
“This was achieved through close liaison and coordination with the researchers in the Oxford team and our experts to ensure that the time, including the weekend, could be fully utilised to rapidly address a small number of clarifications and modifications required following the initial assessment of the clinical trial application.”
