Across partner countries, medicines regulators are working to align approval processes and share assessments to improve patient access to authorised health products.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced it has begun its year as chair of the Access Consortium for 2026, covering international cooperation on medicines regulation.
The MHRA said the chair year is intended to support patient access to safe, effective medicines and maintain streamlined regulatory processes across member countries.
Introduction
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said it formally began its year as chair of the Access Consortium on 26 January 2026. The announcement was issued by the UK regulator as part of its role within the international group of medicines authorities.
The MHRA said the consortium brings together regulators from the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland. The statement sets out the agency’s intention to continue collaborative work on medicines regulation during the 2026 chair year.
Announcement of MHRA chair role for 2026
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency confirmed it has taken over as chair of the Access Consortium for the 2026 calendar year. The agency said the role marks a new phase of international regulatory collaboration focused on strengthening patient access to authorised medicines.
The announcement said the MHRA will lead coordination between partner regulators to support joint working and maintain national authority over medicines approvals across participating countries.
- 2026 chair appointment
- International regulatory leadership
- Patient access focus
Chair role overview
| Chairing authority | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, United Kingdom |
| Chair year | 2026 |
| Primary purpose | Coordinate international regulatory collaboration and support patient access to medicines |
Overview of the Access Consortium and member countries
The MHRA said the Access Consortium is made up of medicines regulators from the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland. The group works together to streamline regulatory processes and support public health outcomes across its member countries.
The announcement said the consortium maintains national authority over approvals while sharing regulatory work to improve efficiency and predictability for medicines developers.
- Five member regulators
- Shared regulatory processes
- Public health outcomes
Consortium membership
| United Kingdom | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |
| Australia | National medicines regulator |
| Canada | National medicines regulator |
| Singapore | National medicines regulator |
| Switzerland | SwissMedic |
Objectives and priorities for the 2026 chair year
The MHRA said it is committed to advancing the consortium’s reputation as a trusted, forward-looking network. The announcement said the agency will work with partner regulators to deliver benefits for patients and industry across participating countries.
The statement referenced continued collaboration to build on existing foundations and maintain a coordinated approach to medicines regulation during the chair year.
Stakeholder Comments
Ministerial Comments
Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive said;
“On behalf of the medicines regulatory agencies in the UK, Canada, Australia and Singapore, I would like to thank our colleagues at SwissMedic for expertly chairing Access in 2025.”
“2026 will be an important year for the Consortium in which we jointly drive forward the delivery of our exciting GROWTH manifesto. We will build on our strong foundations and deliver real benefits for patients and industry across our five partner countries and the global community.”
Bottom Line
The MHRA said its 2026 chair year will focus on maintaining cooperation between partner regulators and supporting shared regulatory processes. The agency said continued collaboration is intended to help medicines developers and health systems across participating countries.
The announcement said the consortium will pursue its work programme while keeping national regulatory authority within each member state.
Sources: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Access Consortium.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
