Optimizing Patient Registries for Regulatory Decision Making - Key Learnings From an HMA/EMA Multistakeholder Workshop

The Joint Heads of Medicines Agencies and European Medicines Agency's (HMA/EMA) big data initiative paves the way for better integration of real-world data, including data from patient registries, into regulatory decisions on medicines. This article focuses on the outcome of a two-day multistakeholder workshop organized by EMA in 2024, which explored ways to optimize the EMA qualification procedure for patient registries, and to establish the value and enable the use of these data across the full spectrum of research questions. Key recommendations include the need to clarify the aim, scope, and added value of the qualification of registries, coupled with a review of the procedural steps to ensure the process is fit-for-purpose to evaluate the use of registries in specific regulatory contexts. Further recommendations focused on strengthening interactions between stakeholders, as well as providing them with enhanced support by increasing awareness of publicly available tools that could leverage the potential of registry data, together with existing guidance. The European Medicines Regulatory Network is now working together with all relevant stakeholders, including the EMA scientific committees and working parties, the Joint HMA/EMA Network Data Steering Group and existing focus groups with external partners, to implement concrete actions that will address these recommendations. Among others, the update of existing guidance, the development of templates and Questions & Answers documents, and the design of appropriate communication and stakeholder engagement plans will aid in achieving the common goal of making optimal use of patient registry data to support public health in the European Union.