European Medicines Agency's Management Board Nominates Guido Rasi as New Executive Director

The European Medicines Agency's Management Board has nominated Guido Rasi on June 8,2011 as new Executive Director of the Agency. The Executive Director-designate has been invited to a hearing in front of the European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on July 13, 2011. The Board will officially appoint the new Executive Director following his hearing and a positive response from the European Parliament.

Mr. Rasi has been Director-General of the Italian Medicines Agency since 2008, and member of the European Medicines Agency's Management Board since 2010.

Mr. Rasi holds a degree in medicine and surgery, with specialization in internal medicine, allergology, and clinical immunology from the University of Rome. From 1978 to 1990, Mr. Rasi worked as physician in hospital, research, and private practice. He worked from 1990 to 2008 in research at the Institute for Experimental Medicine of the National Research Council in Rome, directing the molecular medicine section from 2002 to 2005 and the Tor Vegata section from 2005 to 2008. He was made full professor of microbiology at the University of Rome (Tor Vegata) in 2008.

Andreas Pott will continue his role as Acting Executive Director until Guido Rasi takes office.