Pharmacist and professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Bruno Sepodes was elected President of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the Annual Meeting of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), starting his term on September 21, 2024.
This is the most important scientific committee of the EMA, responsible for issuing recommendations on the entry of new medicines into the European market. The unanimous election by the Member States of the European Union recognizes Bruno Sepodes’ leadership and scientific career within the EMA and academia. This is the first time in EMA’s history that a Portuguese national assumes the presidency of this Scientific Committee.
In a statement to the EMA, Bruno Sepodes said, “As President of the CHMP, my number one priority is to ensure the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines for patients in the European Union,” adding that “together, we will face the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies, including complex advanced therapies, the integration of digital health technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence. We strive to facilitate the rapid development and deployment of medicines, especially when faced with health threats.”
Bruno Sepodes has been a member of the CHMP since 2012, appointed by the Portuguese government, and was elected Vice-President in 2018. He chaired the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) from 2012 to 2018, appointed by the European Commission following the EMA’s recommendation, and was appointed by the institution’s Management Board as Co-Chair of the Emergency Task Force (ETF), a working group that became a permanent structure of the EMA as a result of the work developed by the COVID-19 Emergency Task Force, activated in 2020.
In 2018, EURORDIS awarded him the EURORDIS Leadership Black Pearl Award on Rare Diseases, given to individuals who have demonstrated significant leadership in the field of rare diseases at the European level. That same year, he was included in the list of the 100 most inspiring individuals in the pharmaceutical industry (“The Medicine Maker Power List 2018”) in the category of “Masters of Change.”
At the University of Lisbon, Bruno Sepodes is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, where he is currently Vice-President of the School Council and an elected member of the Scientific Council.
