Guido Rasi, executive director the European Medicines Agency (EMA) poses for a portrait at his office in London January 6, 2012.
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has replaced Executive Director Guido Rasi in a surprise move after a European tribunal annulled his 2011 appointment, following an appeal over the procedure by which he was selected to lead the body.
The decision leaves a leadership hole at the top of the agency, which is responsible for recommending the approval of medicines across the European Union. Its role is parallel to that of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.
The case at the European Union Civil Service Tribunal which led to the suspension was brought in early 2012 by someone who had missed out on the appointment.
The EMA did not name the person challenging Rasi's appointment, but a document on the European Court of Justice website showed former Bulgarian drug agency head Emil Hristov had appealed after he was not short-listed for the job.
The London-based EMA said that it was taking legal advice on the matter and that it had asked Deputy Executive Director Andreas Pott to take over management responsibilities at the authority "pending further decisions".
"It is important to remember that the ruling is about a procedural formality. It is not a reflection on Guido Rasi's competence or ability to run the agency," said Kent Woods, chair of the EMA's management board.
Rasi was selected from a shortlist of candidates to head the EMA in October 2011.
Under his leadership, the EMA has endorsed greater transparency over clinical trial data, following complaints from campaigners and some scientists that too many details about medicines were being kept secret.
Last month the agency adopted a plan to publish detailed clinical reports underpinning new drug approvals from next year, in a move seen as marking an important shift in policy.
Critics of the pharmaceuticals industry argue that free access to such data is essential, so that independent experts can test claims made about prescription drugs. But some drug companies have fought to keep the information private.
