EMA Looks at Drug Development for Senior Population

On August 1, 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced it was looking for public comment on a new reflection paper that takes a look at drug development specifically for senior adults. The paper asks developers to consider specific aspects of development to better suit the needs of older patients.

According to the agency, older adults may have special limitations, such as difficulty breaking a tablet by hand or having a hard time opening containers. EMA is asking drug developers to consider routes of administration, dosage forms, dosing frequency, excipients, container closure systems, devices, and user instructions that may need to be tailored to an older population. The agency is especially looking for comments regarding tablet breaking, feeding tubes, and compliance aids.

Public comment is open until Jan. 31, 2018.