Lawrence Tallon will lead MHRA after June Raine retires

After six years at the helm of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dame June Raine will step down at the end of this month, with Lawrence Tallon stepping into the vacated chief executive role.

Tallon is currently deputy CEO at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, where he has served since March 2020. He was previously managing director of the Shelford Group, a collaboration between ten of the largest teaching and research NHS hospital trusts in England, and held several civil servant roles in the health and social care department.

Raine is retiring after leading the MHRA since 2019, helping the regulator navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the disruption caused by the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Tallon will take over on 1st April as the agency continues to pursue its role as a national agency, strengthen international partnerships, and help the government implement sweeping reforms to the UK health service.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said Tallon's arrival will mark "an important new chapter for MHRA, [whose] work is mission critical to making the NHS fit for the future," as he thanked Raine and wished her all the best in her retirement.

"There is a revolution taking place in life sciences, with new innovative medicines developed more frequently than ever before," continued Streeting. "We need MHRA to work much faster so patients can benefit as soon as possible, and I'm confident that Lawrence is the man for the job."

Tallon's appointment has also been welcomed by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), which earlier this week called for greater recognition of the role innovative medicines play in health, calling on the government to put pharma at the heart of its upcoming 10-year plan for the NHS.

In December, the trade organisation also published a white paper with recommendations to reform the UK's regulatory science, medicines development, and licensing environment, which concluded that the agency is not sufficiently funded to meet its obligations.

The report urged the MHRA's recently appointed chair, Professor Anthony Harnden, to take steps to restore the agency's standing as "the 'front door' to a national life sciences ecosystem."

"Warm welcome to Lawrence Tallon on his appointment into this critical role," commented ABPI chief executive Richard Torbett.

"The agency plays an important role in protecting public health and bringing innovative medicines to patients," he added. "Our industry looks forward to working with him as he leads the MHRA through this next phase of evolution."

The government said that Tallon "will lead the organisation's work to accelerate patient access to innovative medicines and medical devices while maintaining the highest standards of safety and effectiveness."