EU renews mandate of drug watchdog chief
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) looks set to extend the contract of its Executive Director, Emer Cooke. The Agency’s Management Board unanimously recommended renewing her mandate at a meeting in Amsterdam. The decision came in response to a request from the European Commission which is in favour of keeping Cooke in the role.
Ms Cooke, who has served as EMA’s Executive Director since November 2020, is currently set to complete her first mandate as the head of the Agency in November 2025. However, rather than offer a new five-year term, Cooke will stay in the post until May 2027 when she reaches pension age.
The decision now goes to the College of Commissioners in Brussels for approval, before returning to the EMA to formally re-appoint Cooke later this year. After that, with the short-term future secured, the Agency is likely to begin preparations for identifying potential successors to the Executive Director.
Cooke has more than 30 years regulatory experience and has served at the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and at the Irish medicines regulatory authority. She has also worked for an industry trade association and an independent advisor based in the Czech Republic. Along with degrees in pharmacy, Cooke holds master’s degrees in science and in business administration.
