Emer Cooke Nominated As New European Medicines Agency Executive Director
Emer Cooke, new Executive Director of the European Medical Agency

High-level WHO official Emer Cooke has been nominated as the head of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the critical regulatory body for European health product approvals.

Cooke, an Irish national with 30 years’ experience in international regulatory affairs, is currently the Director of the WHO’s Regulation and Prequalification Department since 2016. In this role, she leads WHO’s programme on prequalification approval for health products being procured and sold to low- and middle-income countries at concessionary prices, in close collaboration with Member States and international partners.

Cooke’s work also involves quality assurance to ensure that health technologies perform to high standards, and in accordance with safety norms. she holds a degree in pharmacy and a Masters degrees in Science and in Business Administration, from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

At an extraordinary virtual session on 25 June, the Board selected Emer Cooke from a shortlist of candidates created by the European Commission.

On 13 July, Cooke will give a statement to the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The appointment of the new Executive Director will only be finalized after that meeting.

See the EMA’s press release for more details.

Image Credits: EMA.

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