Eight years of the east african community medicines regulatory harmonization initiative: Implementation, progress, and lessons learned

Abstract

Access to essential medicines is a key pillar of any health system seeking to deliver universal health coverage. Science-based, independent regulation of medical products is a critical part of ensuring that only quality essential medicines reach the patients who need them. • In this article, we explore the progress the East African Community's Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (EAC MRH) initiative, launched in 2012, has made toward its goal of improving access to essential medicines. The initiative's initial focus was on registering generic medicines, with a plan to expand to other classes of medical products, as well as to other regulatory functions. • From 2012 to 2017, the timeline for national assessments of medicinal product applications decreased from roughly 24 months to 8-14 months, if products were assessed through the new joint assessment process (involving 2 or more national medicines regulatory authorities). • Since 2015, the initiative has conducted 10 joint product assessment sessions in which 83 medicinal product applications were considered, resulting in the recommendation of 36 products for registration by EAC Partner States. • Overall, the median timeline for a joint assessment, from submission of the application through final decision, has been a little over a year (372 days); 170 of these days represent time used by manufacturers to answer queries. However, the median timeline for a joint assessment in 2019 was only 240 days, indicating that the process has become more efficient. • Shifting from relying on donor support to becoming self-sustaining remains a challenge for the EAC MRH initiative.