The EMA’s Management Board has nominated Guido Rasi as the new Executive Director of the Agency.

The Executive Director-designate has now been invited to attend a hearing in front of the European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on 13 July 2011.

Mr Rasi (pictured) will officially be appointed following the hearing and he receives a positive response from the Parliament.

He has been Director-General of the Italian Medicines Agency since 2008, and a member of the EMA’s Management Board since last year.

The experienced Italian has worked within the healthcare industry since 1978 and holds a degree in medicine and surgery, with specialisation in internal medicine, allergology and clinical immunology from the University of Rome. In 2008, he was made a full professor of microbiology at the University of Rome (Tor Vegata).

Until Mr Rasi takes office, Andreas Pott will continue his role as Acting Executive Director.