CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey led the Kingdom’s delegation to the 2024 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), held from October 1-5 in Montreal, Canada. This participation aligns with the SFDA’s commitment to contributing to global efforts and sharing expertise in pharmacovigilance and drug safety.

Dr. Al-Jadhey participated in a key dialogue session titled “The Status of Pharmacovigilance in the Digital Age Around the World,” which included officials from the Canadian Ministry of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency, and the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products.

During his remarks, Dr. Al-Jadhey highlighted the SFDA’s pioneering initiatives in leveraging digital solutions to enhance drug safety. He emphasized the authority’s efforts in advancing digital technologies, citing projects such as the Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting Service, which tracks
adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and the e-learning platform for risk minimization measures (aRMMS). These initiatives underscore Saudi Arabia’s leadership in integrating digital innovations within drug safety.

On the sidelines of the conference, Dr. Al-Jadhey held meetings with officials from the Canadian Ministry of Health and representatives of several Canadian companies specializing in drug safety, vaccines, and biotechnology. Discussions focused on potential collaboration in research, laboratory advancements, knowledge exchange, and training programs.

Additionally, SFDA staff presented 10 scientific papers on drug safety at the research exhibition accompanying the ISoP annual meeting, which serves as an international forum for experts in clinical and scientific aspects of drug safety. The conference attracted over 1,000 members from 108 countries.

Source: Saudi Press Agency