Pholcodine

  • Procedure started
  • Under evaluation
  • CHMP opinion
  • European Commission final decision

Table of contents

Current status:
European Commission final decision

Overview

The European Medicines Agency has completed a review of the safety and effectiveness of pholcodine, following concerns that its use may put people at risk of developing anaphylactic (severe allergic) reactions to neuromuscular blocking agents used during surgery. The Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the existing evidence of the risk is weak, and that the benefits of pholcodine continue to outweigh its risks. Therefore, it recommended that all marketing authorisations for medicines containing pholcodine should be maintained throughout the European Union (EU).

Key facts

Approved name
Pholcodine
International non-proprietary name (INN) or common name
pholcodine
Reference number
EMEA/H/A-31/1292
Type
Article 31 referrals

This type of referral is triggered when the interest of the Union is involved, following concerns relating to the quality, safety or efficacy of a medicine or a class of medicines.
Status
European Commission final decision
Opinion date
15/12/2011
EC decision date
17/02/2012

All documents

Description of documents published

Please note that some of the listed documents apply only to certain procedures.

  • Overview - lay-language summary of the stage of the procedure
  • Notification – a letter from a Member State, the European Commission or the marketing authorisation holder requesting the initiation of the procedure
  • Scientific background – further background information from the triggering Member State on the issues leading to the initiation of the procedure (if applicable)
  • List of questions – questions agreed by the Committee requesting further information from the marketing authorisation holder(s) / applicant(s) to evaluate the issues identified
  • Timetable for the procedure – agreed timeframe to respond to the list of questions, to assess the issues and to adopt a conclusion
  • List of medicines concerned by the procedure – medicine(s) / active substance(s) concerned, and marketing authorisation holder(s) / applicant(s)
  • List of questions to be addressed by the stakeholders – call for data to be submitted by stakeholders (e.g. healthcare professionals, patient organisations, individual patients) (if applicable)
  • Stakeholder submission form – form to be used by stakeholders to submit data (if applicable)
  • Scientific conclusions – scientific conclusions of the PRAC and/or CHMP and/or CMDh
  • Assessment report – PRAC or CHMP assessment and conclusions on the issues investigated, including divergent positions (if applicable)
  • Divergent positions – divergent positions of the CHMP or CMDh members for pharmacovigilance procedures (if applicable)
  • Changes to the summary of product characteristics, labelling and package leaflet (amended sections or fully revised version) (if applicable)
  • Condition(s) to the marketing authorisation(s) – condition(s) for the safe and effective use of the medicine(s) (if applicable)
  • Condition for lifting the suspension – condition to be fulfilled for the suspension of the marketing authorisation(s) to be lifted (if applicable)
  • Timetable for implementation of CMDh position – agreed timeframe to submit and finalise the variation(s) implementing the outcome of the procedure (if applicable)

Note that older documents may have different titles.

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