Veterinary Medicines

The European Medicines Agency's Veterinary Medicines Division is responsible for all activities related to veterinary medicines for which the Agency is responsible. This includes the provision of advice during the development of products, the authorisation process itself and post-authorisation activities such as variations to authorisations and pharmacovigilance, as well as all aspects of public health related to the use of veterinary medicines, particularly the establishment of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the presence of residues of veterinary medicines in foodstuffs of animal origin.

The Division provides the secretariat to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP), Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures - Veterinary (CMDv) and working parties that support the work of the Agency on veterinary medicines, and contributes to those activities of the Agency that span both human and veterinary activities, in line with the ‘one health’ approach.

The Division acts as the source of advice from the Agency on veterinary topics to European Union institutions, the International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH) and international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and Codex Alimentarius.

An organisation chart shows the full structure of the Veterinary Medicines Division.

Table of contents

• Head of Veterinary Medicines
• Veterinary Medicines Department

Head of Veterinary Medicines

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Head of Veterinary Medicines (ad interim)

Fia Westerholm

Nationality: Finnish

Career to date:

• Head of Veterinary Medicines, European Medicines Agency (2017-present)
• Head of Veterinary Medicines Department, European Medicines Agency (2016-2017)
• Head of Development and Evaluation of Veterinary Medicines, European Medicines Agency (2013-2016)
• Scientific Administrator, European Medicines Agency (2005-2012)
• Member, Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP), European Medicines Agency (2010-2011)
• Veterinary Officer, Finnish Medicines Agency, Helsinki, Finland (2010-2011)
• Manager in Research and Development, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland (1999-2005)
• Veterinarian, National Agency for Medicines, Helsinki, Finland (1997-1998)
• Office Veterinarian, Finnish Veterinary Association, Helsinki, Finland (1995-1996)
• Various short-term positions (1995-1997), including:
  • Veterinary officer responsible for meat inspection and related laboratory testing, National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, Finland
  • Laboratory veterinarian, Mikkeli Area Food and Environmental Laboratory, Mikkeli, Finland
  • Practising veterinarian, Pet-Vet, Turku, Finland

Education:

• Licentiate in veterinary medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland (1995)

Declaration of interests

Veterinary Medicines Department

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Head of Veterinary Medicines Department (ad interim)

Isaura da Conceição Duarte

Nationality: Portuguese

Career to date:

• Head of Veterinary Medicines Department (ad interim), European Medicines Agency (2017-present)
• Head of Animal and Public Health, European Medicines Agency (2009-present)
• Scientific Administrator, European Medicines Agency (1995-2009)
• National Expert on Detachment, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (1992-1995)
• Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Lisbon, Portugal (1986-1992)

Education:

• Degree in veterinary medicine, Higher School of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal (1986)

Declaration of interests

Head of Development and Evaluation of Veterinary Medicines (ad interim)

Minna Leppänen

Nationality: Finnish

Career to date:

• Head of Development and Evaluation of Veterinary Medicines (ad interim), European Medicines Agency (2017-present)
• Scientific Administrator, European Medicines Agency (2015-2017)
• Private Consultant in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and academia, ML Consulting, Vantaa, Finland (2000-2015)
• Small animal practitioner, managing director, Keski-Uudenmaan Eläinlääkäriasema, Kereva, Finland (1990-2000)
• Various short-term positions in small animal and farm animal practice and local authority offices in Finland (1988-1990) including:
  • Companion animal practitioner, Päijät-Hämeen Eläinlääkäriasema, Lahti, Finland
  • Leading food hygiene and environmental health officer, Itä-Uudenmaan Kansanterveystyön kuntainliitto, Loviisa, Finland

Education:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine  (DVM), University of Helsinki, Finland (1988)
• Specialist competence in companion animal medicine and surgery, University of Helsinki, Finland (1999)
• Doctor of philosophy (PhD) in veterinary medicine epidemiology,  University of Helsinki, Finland (2000)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) , Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland (2007)       

Declaration of interests

Head of Veterinary Regulatory and Organisational Support

Emily Drury

Nationality: British and French

Career to date:

• Head of Veterinary Regulatory and Organisational Support, European Medicines Agency (2017-present)
• Scientific Administrator (project manager), Veterinary Regulatory and Organisation Support, European Medicines Agency (2009-2017)
• Regulatory Projects Manager, Cyton Biosciences Ltd, Bristol, United Kingdom (2006-2009)
• Regulatory Executive (Senior), Cyton Biosciences Ltd, Bristol, United Kingdom (2001-2006)

Education:

• Master of Science honours degree in Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (2000)

Declaration of interests

Head of Animal and Public Health

Isaura da Conceição Duarte

Nationality: Portuguese

Career to date:

• Head of Animal and Public Health, European Medicines Agency (2009-present)
• Head of Veterinary Medicines Department (ad interim), European Medicines Agency (2017-present)
• Scientific Administrator, European Medicines Agency (1995-2009)
• National Expert on Detachment, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (1992-1995)
• Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Lisbon, Portugal (1986-1992)

Education:

• Degree in veterinary medicine, Higher School of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal (1986)

Declaration of interests