UK proposals for limited cooperation with the EU in medicines regulation, including the recognition of certificates and inspections, are one glimmer of light in an otherwise uncertain post-Brexit regulatory scenario for the UK. But time pressures and political spats over the future relationship could throw the whole enterprise into doubt. 

Despite the life sciences industry’s call for continued alignment of medicines regulation with the EU from next year and for some sort of co-operation with the European Medicines Agency, it seems the UK government is prepared to make only small concessions.

Now that the UK has left the EU, the UK’s medicines regulator says it will use the rest of this year to work out how best to ensure continuity of drug regulation after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.