The United Kingdom and European Union have yet to reach a trade deal for medications ahead of Britain's 2019 exit from the EU, according to Bloomberg.
Britain's decision to leave the EU has caused regulatory uncertainty for drug companies, since the London-based European Medicines Agency — equivalent to the U.S.' Food and Drug Administration — must to relocate to a city in the EU
Alan Morrison, vice president of regulatory affairs international for Merck & Co., told Bloomberg numerous issues, such as the transfer of product registration and drug testing in the U.K., are still unresolved.
With so many regulatory matters left up in the air, drug companies are preparing for the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal, according to Reuters.
"We're starting to plan for the worst-case scenario," Mr. Morrison said at an industry conference last week, according to Reuters. "It’s a long-cycle business. If we have to plan for product testing in Europe for drugs that are currently manufactured in the U.K., that is going to take some time."
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