BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Another Brussels insider will take over as the head of EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, when current Secretary General Hugo Schepens retires next month. The new man will be Johan Vanhemelrijck, who will join the association in March. Vanhemelrijck is a Belgian national and doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Ghent. After 12 years with the Animal Health Division of Upjohn, he headed Fedesa, the European Federation of Animal Health, from 1989 to 2002. For the past year, he has been senior director, worldwide industry affairs for Pfizer Animal Health. Pharmacia & Upjohn

"We are very happy to have found a candidate with a strong life sciences background and with a solid European trade association experience," said Feike Sijbesma, EuropaBio chairman. "Jo's knowledge of the European institutions and the way they operate guarantees continuity with the work Hugo has been doing over the past three-and-a-half years. His regulatory expertise will be an invaluable asset in an association like ours, which is under rapid development."

European Medicines Agency Sets 2004 Plans

The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products expects to receive about €52 million in 2004 from fees for reviewing some 40 marketing authorization applications - mainly from biotechnology-derived medicines. The total budget for the year will be around €84 million, with the additional revenue coming from the European Union budget. Some €3.5 million will be earmarked for helping orphan drug registrations. Staff will be boosted by about 10 percent to 314 employees, and the emphasis will be on upgrading the agency's scientific expertise.