Disputes and regulatory enforcement

Regulatory enforcement and actions against regulators

The highly regulated nature of the life sciences industry gives rise to the potential for a myriad of regulatory enforcement action for breach of the strict rules governing the sector. Similarly, organisations affected by decisions taken by the regulators responsible for regulating the sector may also wish to take action against those decisions. Regulatory enforcement and action against regulators is possible at both at UK and EU level, depending on the nature of the issue in dispute.

Disputes arising out of the EMA’s approach to transparency

Article 15 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) requires EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies to conduct their work as openly as possible and extends the public right of access to documents of all the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. This is often referred to as the principle of transparency. Transparency can be pursued by institutions either by granting access to documents or information upon request (reactive disclosure) or by making documents and information publicly available on their own motion, mainly by publishing it on their websites (proactive disclosure).

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Latest Life Sciences News

Life Sciences weekly highlights—19 March 2026

This week's edition of Life Sciences weekly highlights includes an MLex analysis of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issuing a joint opinion on the proposed EU Biotech Act, supporting harmonisation of clinical trials rules under the proposal, but calling for specific safeguards for sensitive health data. Also included, is news that the Council of the EU has agreed its position on the Digital Omnibus on AI proposal, and that the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Civil Liberties committees have adopted their joint position, supporting proposals to simplify AI rules, including amendments to revise timelines for high-risk systems, MedTech Europe has published a joint industry statement on packaging and sustainability requirements affecting medical devices, as well as news that the House of Lords has opened an inquiry into innovation in the NHS, focusing on personalised medicine and AI, EFPIA has published research on EU competitiveness for pharmaceutical investment and updates on Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) projects tackling health challenges ranging from antimicrobial resistance and AI to big data and regulatory innovation. Further news included is that the EMA has published an implementation strategy for the revised International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) E2D(R1) pharmacovigilance guideline, and has also opened a consultation on paediatric oncology development, the EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agency (HMA) have approved a 2026–28 workplan on using AI and big data in medicines regulation, the MHRA has highlighted the potential of medicines reclassification, involving switches from prescription-only (POM) to pharmacy, general sales list and over-the-counter (OTC) status, and a key Patents Court decision in Nador Cott Protection SAS v Asda Stores Ltd confirming that a mandarin variety was not essentially derived for Plant Breeders’ Rights purposes, among other stories.

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