European Medicines Agency appoints new Head of Unit for Veterinary medicines and inspections

24 January 2005

European Medicines Agency Executive Director, Thomas Lönngren, has today announced the appointment of David Mackay, BVet Med, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, as the new Head of Unit for Veterinary medicines and inspections.

Dr Mackay is a former member of the Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) and former chairman of the CVMP Immunologicals Working Party. He is currently Head of the Pirbright Laboratory of the Institute for Animal Health based in the United Kingdom.

Making the announcement, Thomas Lönngren said, 'David Mackay brings to us a broad range of experience in the field of veterinary medicines and will complement the existing team of professionals at the Agency. I very much look forward to working with him when he takes up his duties at the EMEA in February 2006'.

In accepting the post, Dr Mackay said, 'I look forward to joining the EMEA and playing my part in shaping its continued development as a central player in the regulation of veterinary medicines in Europe'.

--ENDS--

Notes:
1. Dr Mackay joined the United Kingdom Veterinary Medicines Directorate in September 1999 and was appointed Director of Licensing in September 2002. He served as a member of the CVMP from February 2001 to September 2003. He re-joined the Institute for Animal Health in October 2003 as Head of the Pirbright Laboratory, having previously worked at the laboratory from 1991- 1999 as a senior research scientist specialising in foot-and-mouth disease. Dr Mackay is a veterinary surgeon with higher degrees in immunology and vaccinology.
2. Dr Mackay succeeds Dr Peter Jones as Head of Unit, who left the EMEA in September 2005.
3. The Unit for Veterinary medicines and inspections is made up of 3 Sectors:

Unit for Veterinary medicines and inspections Head of Unit: David MACKAY (from February 2006)
Sector for Veterinary medicines authorisation procedures Head of Sector: Jill ASHLEY-SMITH Deputy Head of Sector: Melanie LEIVERS	Sector for Safety of veterinary medicines Head of Sector: Kornelia GREIN Sector for Inspections Head of Sector: Emer COOKE

European Medicines Agency appoints new Head of Unit for Veterinary medicines and inspections

Reference Number: EMEA/384622/2005