As part of the authorisation, market surveillance and approval of human and veterinary medicinal products, the Swissmedic Medicines Expert Committees (SMEC) perform an independent second review of the scientific documentation in authorisation applications – a valuable contribution to ensuring that effective, safe and high-quality medicinal products are available to Swiss doctors for their day-to-day activities.
26.03.2020
Like all internationally leading drug regulatory authorities, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products Swissmedic seeks the advice of external expert committees on scientific issues: the Human Medicines Expert Committee (HMEC) for human medicinal products and the Veterinary Medicines Expert Committee (VMEC) for veterinary medicinal products. Cooperation with external experts is an important element in ensuring the quality of the decisions that are taken. The European EMA draws on various Scientific Advisory Groups for this purpose, and the American drug regulatory authority FDA works closely with its Advisory Committees.
The Swissmedic Medicines Expert Committees (SMEC) are made up of ordinary, extraordinary and advisory members and are elected by the Swissmedic Agency Council for a four-year term of office. Their experts have documented professional qualifications and expertise in medicine, pharmacy or science and wide-ranging experience in the clinical environment.
Looking for experts from research and the practical setting
The 4-year term of office of the SMEC expires at the end of 2020 and the elections for the 2012-2024 period are due. Swissmedic would like to take this opportunity to further reinforce the expertise of the committees. In human medicine Swissmedic is particularly looking for experts in the following areas: oncology, pneumonology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, gynaecology, urology, paediatrics, allergology, immunology/vaccinology, infectiology/virology, endocrinology and clinical pharmacology.
If you are interested in joining the committee, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Esther Wullimann, Responsible for the External Experts Committee.
A summary of the main points
- External expert committees support Swissmedic with academic and practical knowledge and in this way make an important contribution to providing Swiss doctors with effective, safe and high-quality medicinal products for their day-to-day activities.
- Between 2017 and 2019, the experts issued a total of 233 recommendations on the first authorisation of, and indication extensions for, medicinal products in Switzerland. In the area of human medicinal products there was a major emphasis on cytostatic agents.
- Swissmedic is looking for candidates as the date for the elections to the expert committees at the end of 2020 approaches. Interested individuals are invited to get in touch with Swissmedic.