The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is headed for uncertain times after a row over the pay grade of its executive director has left it without a leader for the first half of next year.
The outgoing chief, Thomas Lonngren, will stand down on 31 December having served two five-year terms. The move was well flagged but the EMA and European Commission have spent months wrangling over the salary for Lonngren’s replacement, leading to the withdrawal of earlier advertisements for the post.
“There will be a gap,” said Lonngren. “Now I have only got a few months left and a procedure like this takes quite a long time, so we cannot expect a replacement until June or July next year.”
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