The Faculty of Pharmacy and the Medical Products Agency strengthen collaboration in regulatory science

The Faculty of Pharmacy has initiated a research school in regulatory science. The initiative comprises three PhD projects and involves all three Faculty departments. The Swedish Medical Products Agency has participated in discussions leading up to the initiative and is now also involved in its implementation.

“By bringing together Uppsala University’s research environments with the Medical Products Agency’s experience of practical regulatory work, we create better conditions for new knowledge to be put into practice. This strengthens both the relevance of research and the quality of future regulatory decisions,” says My Moberg, Director at the Swedish Medical Products Agency.

As part of the collaboration, Jessica Mwinyi, an investigator at the Swedish Medical Products Agency, is appointed Adjunct Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacy. She will be affiliated with the research environment in Pharmacoepidemiology, led by Professor Björn Wettermark.

“This adjunct professorship gives me the opportunity to contribute a regulatory authority perspective to research, while also bringing new knowledge back to the Agency. It is at the intersection of research and practical application that we can develop methods and evidence to support decision-making that make a real difference to patients and society. By focusing on person-centred medicine and pharmacogenomics, we can work together to develop the regulatory frameworks needed to implement precision medicine in clinical practice, ensuring that the right patient receives the right drug at the right dose,” says Jessica Mwinyi

“Jessica Mwinyi brings valuable expertise in both pharmacoepidemiology and regulatory affairs. Her experience strengthens our research environment and creates new opportunities to develop projects that are scientifically interesting while also being relevant to regulatory authorities, healthcare providers and other stakeholders in the pharmaceutical field,” says Björn Wettermark, Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology.

The collaboration also extends to doctoral education. Robin Svensson and Anders Lindahl of the Swedish Medical Products Agency have joined two of the doctoral projects in the doctoral school as co-supervisors. By involving experts from PhD students gain access to practical experience of regulatory work as well as insights into issues of direct relevance to the development, evaluation and monitoring of medicines.

The collaboration is part of a long-term effort to strengthen Sweden’s expertise in regulatory science, with the aim of contributing to better evidence for decision-making, more appropriate methods and the safe introduction of new treatments and technologies.

“I am delighted that we at the Faculty are now seeing concrete results of our long-term strategic efforts to strengthen research and education in regulatory science. The initiative is also aligned with the national life science strategy, which highlights regulatory research as important for the development and implementation of new treatments and medical technologies,” says Anja Sandström, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry.

text: Swedish Medical Products Agency, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o