A focus on innovative R&D, a commitment to transparency and patient involvement were among the goals that European Medicines Agency Executive Director Guido Rasi laid out in his vision for the agency during a press briefing last week.

Rasi called for innovative therapies “which have the potential to really improve patients’ lives” and translate into public health benefits. He also touted his agency’s commitment to transparency, noting that the EMA was the first regulator in the world to enable the public to access clinical data used to determine marketing authorizations.

The executive director also stressed the need for more patient involvement “to ensure their views and needs are taken into account at every step of the development process.” Rasi reinforced the agency’s role as a global reference authority, as well as the need to integrate all available evidence when studying the impact of medicines.