In a recent meeting, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Management Board elected Rui Santos Ivo, the governmental representative of EATRIS Portugal, as chair for a three-year term.
Mr Santos Ivo is the president of the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Healthcare Products (Infarmed) and an associate professor of medicines regulation at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Pharmacy. With a post-graduate degree in health management, health law and pharmaceutical legislation from the University of Lisbon, he has been a member of EMA’s Management Board since 2016 and has served as its vice-chair since October 2024.
Mr Santos Ivo commented on his appointment: “It is a great honour to be appointed to lead EMA’s Management Board. The times we live in, with rapid changes, an increasingly complex environment and major legislative and regulatory developments coming our way, show how important it is for EMA to be agile and efficient, taking full leadership and responsibility in safeguarding our high EU standards of human and animal health protection, and serving European citizens. As chair, together with my fellow board members, I will prioritise the essential partnership between EMA, the national agencies and the European Commission, while jointly upholding the strong international reputation of the EMA as a reference regulator.”
Mr Santos Ivo is the president of the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Healthcare Products (Infarmed) and an associate professor of medicines regulation at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Pharmacy. With a post-graduate degree in health management, health law and pharmaceutical legislation from the University of Lisbon, he has been a member of EMA’s Management Board since 2016 and has served as its vice-chair since October 2024.
EATRIS is proud to see Rui Santos Ivo take on this key leadership role at EMA. His deep expertise in medicines regulation and his long-standing contribution to the European regulatory network will be an asset in guiding EMA’s strategy in the years ahead.
EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke welcomed the appointment, stating: “I am delighted to welcome Rui as the new chair of our Management Board. Rui brings a deep understanding of the European medicines regulatory system and has extensive experience within our network. His knowledge will be crucial as EMA moves into its next strategic phase, including implementing our network strategy to 2028. I also want to express my profound gratitude to Lorraine Nolan for her exceptional leadership during her tenure as chair. Her vision and unwavering commitment have significantly strengthened the network’s capacity to protect public health across Europe.“
Portugal joined EATRIS as a member in 2018, and Mr. Santos Ivo has been EATRIS’ Governmental representative since 2019.
- For more details, see the official EMA announcement here.
- Learn more about EATRIS Portugal and its role in supporting translational medicine across Europe here.
