Anthony Harnden has been appointed as the new chair of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Harnden is a Professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, and will continue to serve as a registrant Council member of the General Medical Council and chair of the Renumeration Committee until the end of December.
Harnden worked in the NHS for 40 years, included 33 years as a GP. He also previously served as deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Harnden will take over from Stephen Lightfoot, who served from September 2020 and stepped down in 2023.
Professor Anthony Harnden said: "It is a great honour and privilege to be appointed by Ministers to be the next MHRA Chair. I am looking forward to making a contribution to the future successes of the organisation.
"I will use my experience in healthcare and regulation to help the MHRA deliver its strategic priorities – keeping patients safe and enabling timely access to new medicines and technologies."
Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive said: "We are delighted to welcome Professor Anthony Harnden as our new Chair.
"Anthony brings with him a wealth of experience from across the healthcare sector and academia that will be invaluable when advising on the strategic direction of the Agency to protect and promote public health.
"I would also like to say an enormous thank you to Amanda Calvert, Michael Whitehouse OBE and Professor Graham Cooke for their sterling work co-chairing the MHRA board on an interim basis since July 2023."
The chair will work on driving forward the strategic direction of MHRA to maintain the UK as a global centre of excellence in life sciences, in the best interests of patients and the public.
Health minister Karin Smyth said: "I am delighted to welcome Anthony, who brings a wealth of regulatory and healthcare experience, including 33 years as a General Practitioner.
"The MHRA plays a vital role in ensuring the safe use of medicines, medical devices and blood transfusions across the UK and I look forward to working with Anthony as we reform our health service and make it fit for the future."
