The official podcast of the European Medicines Agency. This series takes you behind the scenes of medicines regulation in the EU, exploring the science and the experts working to ensure medicines for humans and animals are safe, effective, and of high quality.
What is it really like to be an EMA trainee?
In the latest episode of Inside EMA, we speak with Maria Iglesias, Martin Botulinski and Andrea Tzoneva about their experiences of EMA's traineeship programme. From regulatory science and innovation to institutional policy, they discuss learning opportunities, mentorship, international collaboration and the diverse career paths that can lead to EMA.
The episode highlights how trainees gain hands-on experience, access to training and mentoring, and the opportunity to contribute to work that ultimately helps patients across Europe.
27 Jul 2026
Better science, better medicines: how innovation is reshaping animal testing
Could medicines one day be developed without animal testing? Scientific innovation is advancing rapidly, and momentum is growing in Europe and globally to reduce andultimately replace the use of animals in research. The EU has launched a roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, and EMA continues to build on its longstanding commitment to the 3Rs principles (replace, reduce, refine animal use). Working with partners across Europe and internationally, EMA is helping drive this transition, supporting the development of alternative approaches that protect both science and patient safety.
In this episode of Inside EMA, Stefano Ponzano, Head of EMA’s Office of Translational Sciences, discusses the future of animal testing in medicines development and regulation. He explores the role animal studies have traditionally played, explains the challenges and opportunities of moving beyond them, and highlights how innovative methods could not only reduce animal use but also generate more human-relevant data to improve medicines development.
Related documents:
Ethical use of animals in medicine testing | European Medicines Agency (EMA) (https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ema.europa.eu%2Fen%2Fhuman-regulatory-overview%2Fresearch-development%2Fethical-use-animals-medicine-testing&data=05%7C02%7CVladimira.Yalmanova%40ema.europa.eu%7Cebe792b1c6c34ff1584508deebb270ce%7Cbc9dc15c61bc4f03b60be5b6d8922839%7C0%7C0%7C639207348795118089%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PptuW7pgeqzs0fEapEFlEhMOCQbPPx5Lyfsto0O6G%2Bk%3D&reserved=0)
Regulatory acceptance of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to reduce animal use testing | European Medicines Agency (EMA) (https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ema.europa.eu%2Fen%2Fhuman-regulatory-overview%2Fresearch-development%2Fethical-use-animals-medicine-testing%2Fregulatory-acceptance-new-approach-methodologies-nams-reduce-animal-use-testing&data=05%7C02%7CVladimira.Yalmanova%40ema.europa.eu%7Cebe792b1c6c34ff1584508deebb270ce%7Cbc9dc15c61bc4f03b60be5b6d8922839%7C0%7C0%7C639207348795131141%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0skJUYycOQIj7s%2FOucdNCiIZ5E2Q6PXLAb%2F5xnSb5KU%3D&reserved=0)
23 Jun 2026
Evidence for two: medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding
Up to 90% of women who are pregnant or breastfeeding use medicines, yet for many of these treatments, reliable safety data remains limited. Why does this gap exist—and how can it be addressed?
In this episode of Inside EMA, Corinne de Vries, EMA lead on medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding, explores the challenges of generating robust safety evidence for these populations. She explains how traditional approaches to clinical research have contributed to the lack of data and why it’s essential to rethink the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals in clinical trials.
Corinne also shares how regulators and researchers are working to generate better evidence throughout a medicine’s lifecycle. Strengthening this knowledge base is key to empowering mothers and healthcare professionals to make informed, confident decisions about treatment—supporting both maternal health and the wellbeing of their babies.
28 May 2026
Data, trust and the future of medicines
From clinical trials to real‑world evidence. How is data shaping the future of medicines?
Discover how EMA uses data to guide safer, better decisions.
In this episode of Inside EMA, we explore how different types of data are shaping the future of medicines regulation in Europe.
EMA experts Peter Arlett and Denise Umuhire explain how real-world evidence - data from electronic healthcare records - complements clinical trials to support decisions on the safety and effectiveness of medicines. The episode also looks at DARWIN EU, the Agency’s network for generating evidence across Europe, and how data is used in a secure and transparent way to build trust.
Learn more:
• HMA–EMA catalogue of real-world data studies (https://catalogues.ema.europa.eu/catalogue-rwd-studies)
• EMA paper on Excellence in clinical evidence (https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cpt.70107?af=R)
• EMA vision on Real-world evidence (https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cpt.3596)
• DARWIN EU network (https://www.darwin-eu.org/)
23 Apr 2026
From idea to medicines: how EMA supports innovation
How does EMA help turn innovative ideas into real medicines?
In this episode of Inside EMA, we look at how the European Medicines Agency supports developers from early concepts through to patient access. The discussion highlights how regulation and innovation are not opposites, but complementary forces that help deliver safe and effective medicines.
Topics include early scientific dialogue, support for SMEs, and EMA’s engagement with innovation ecosystems across Europe.
🎙️ Featuring Emmanuel Cormier, Head of regulatoryscience and innovation, and Alessandro Faia, Communications officer.
Learn more: Opportunities to interact with EMA during the development of a medicine (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/research-development#opportunities-to-interact-with-ema-during-the-development-of-a-medicine-38736)
30 Mar 2026
Beyond the scale, obesity in the age of GLP-1s
Obesity rates continue to rise across Europe, but the reasons go far beyond diet and exercise. In this episode, we explore obesity as a chronic disease and look at how weight‑loss medicines like GLP‑1 receptor agonists are influencing treatment and expectations. EMA expert Bart van der Schueren joins us to discuss the biological, behavioural and societal factors that influence weight, and what it means to try to lose weight today.
18 Feb 2026
Inoculated with doubt: misinformation and public trust
This episode of ‘Inside EMA’ delves into one of today’s most pressing public health challenges: health misinformation. Konstantina Boumaki, from the European Patients’ Forum EPF), and Steffen Thirstrup, EMA’s Chief Medical Officer, address the rise of health misinformation, the drivers of trust, especially among young people, and the actions EMA is taking to strengthen confidence in medicines and science.
22 Jan 2026
Shortages of medicines: a balancing act
Medicine shortages are a growing challenge in today’s complex global supply chain. In this episode of Inside EMA, Monica Dias, EMA’s Head of Supply and Availability of Medicines and Medical Devices, joins communications officers Alessandro Faia and Giulia Gabrielli to explain how the Agency works, together with national authorities, to prevent and manage shortages across the EU.
They also discuss the communication campaign Fighting medicine shortages: it takes a team (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/post-authorisation/medicine-shortages-availability-issues/fighting-medicine-shortages-it-takes-team) and why public awareness and strong collaboration with stakeholders are essential.
15 Dec 2025
The next pandemic: are we ready?
When it comes to the next pandemic, the question is likely not to be about if it might happen, but rather when. In this episode, Marco Cavaleri, EMA’s Head of Public Health Threats, discusses with communications officer Sophie Labbe the Agency’s and his personal experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons why new pandemics are likely to occur, and how EMA is preparing for it.
18 Nov 2025
The drugs don’t work: Addressing antimicrobial resistance
To mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day, our first episode dives into one of the biggest global health challenges: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). EMA’s Chief Medical Officer, Steffen Thirstrup, and Communications Officer, Alessandro Faia, explore what drives AMR, its impact in Europe and worldwide, and how EMA is working to enable solutions.
Discover why “the drugs don’t work” and what’s being done to protect public health.
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