FPM President’s Medal 2024 awarded to Dr David Jefferys
Posted on: Thursday 4 July 2024
Author: FPM
Dr David Jefferys has been awarded the prestigious FPM President’s Medal at the 2024 FPM Annual Awards Ceremony.
The FPM President’s Medal is the highest honour FPM can bestow and recognises exceptional individuals who have gone above and beyond to deliver fundamental and transformational change to the field of pharmaceutical medicine. Typically, just one medal is awarded each year and Dr David Jefferys succeeds Dr Ruth Dixon (2023) and Professor Alan Boyd (2022) in receiving this honour.
The awarding process is a rigorous one and starts with an invitation to all FPM members to submit nominations. The Fellowship and Awards Committee judges each nomination on its individual merit and a final decision is agreed by a vote. The nominated awardee is presented to the Board for final approval.
The winner receives a physical medal and is invited to our Annual Awards Ceremony where a citation is read by their nominator and they receive formal commendation of their achievements amongst their peers.
Citation given by nominator Prof Peter Stonier
Dr David Jefferys was a member of the Founding group of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FPM) in 1989.
From his career in clinical and academic medicine David joined the Department of Health in 1984 to head the Review of Medicines. With the creation of the Medicines Control Agency in 1989, he became Director of Licensing and UK representative on CHMP, the European committee playing a vital role in the authorisation of medicines in the European Union.
David moved into medical devices as Chief Executive of the Medical Devices Agency from 2000 to 2004, when it merged into the MHRA. During much of this period David served as the Principal Assessor to the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
He represented the government pharmaceutical physicians as FPM was founded, and was involved in developing the higher medical training curriculum prior to specialty recognition in 2002.
David has served FPM throughout its 35 years, bringing knowledge, experience and influence from senior government and regulatory quarters to bear on FPM’s development and aspirations.
In 2016 he was elected to the FPM Board and played a prominent role over six years as FPM rose to a high government profile during the pandemic.
Through his many industry, academic, professional and governmental roles and networks David’s contributions to the founding aims of FPM, standard setting, external affairs, and preparing for the specialty of pharmaceutical medicine have been invaluable.
These achievements have come with David’s positive commitment and personable and inclusive teamwork and leadership style, inspirational to everyone wherever they are on their career pathway.
Fellows, Members and Guests there could be no more deserving recipient of the President’s Medal than Dr David Jefferys, and I wholeheartedly commend him for FPM’s highest distinction.
Acceptance speech from Dr David Jefferys
“Thank you, President [Dr Flic Gabbay] and the FPM for the award of this most prestigious medal and for the citation. It is always very special to be recognised by your peers and colleagues.
“My links with the FPM go back a long way and indeed before its birth and inception. Indeed President we both served on the Working Party convened by BrAPP and the Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine. I was there as a government representative from the DHSS (the Principal Medical Officer in charge of New Medicines Licensing and Clinical Trials). I was elected a Founding Fellow of the Faculty in October 1989. During my career in Government as a regulator and then in the Pharmaceutical Industry, I have had numerous interactions with the Faculty, serving on Working Parties, being a senior advisor on EU and UK Government Policy, chairing meetings and conferences and as a panellist and speaker.
“I served for two terms as a Trustee and Board member of FPM. I think the pivotal contribution that the Faculty and pharmaceutical physicians make to public health was all too clear during the pandemic. Much of my work was international and indeed global. This has allowed me to see how well respected our Faculty is internationally. We are a unique body which commands huge respect with benefits to the standing of the UK and to securing Life Science inward investment.
“I see this award as a recognition of the importance of regulatory science to pharmaceutical medicine. To paraphrase another very distinguished medical body ‘May the Faculty continue to flourish root and branch’.”
About Dr David Jefferys
David graduated in medicine from Guy’s Hospital and London University. Following in career in academic and clinical medicine, as an NHS Consultant Physician and senior lecturer with interests in cardiology, metabolic medicine clinical pharmacology and toxicology. He served on the government review of Medicines Safety in 1984. This led to him joining the then DHSS Medicines Division in 1985 for one year to undertake the Review of Medicines. In the event he spent 21 years in Medicine Regulation, establishing the MCA and becoming the first Director of Licensing, CEO and Director of the Medical Devices Agency and on the creation of the MHRA interim Chief Executive. He served for 16 years on the CPMP/CHMP and was heavily involved in the creation of the European Medicines Agency, worked on secondment for a period in the EMA and with the EU Commission. He participated in the founding of the ICH IN 1990 and worked extensively with the WHO
In the Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector, he chaired the EU MDCG and the Global Harmonisation Task Force.
In 2005 following retirement from Government, he joined Eisai as a senior advisor and rapidly became Global Senior Vice President with wide ranging responsibilities for Regulatory and Development Strategy, Corporate Policy and Patient Safety. During this period David chaired a range of Committees IAand Boards for ABPI, EFPIA and IFPMA, serving on the IFPMA Council. He reconnected with ICH serving on the Management Board and the General Assembly. In 2014 he was recognised by the Science Council as one of the UKs 100 leading practising scientists.
David has been the President of both RAPS and TOPRA receiving Life Time Achievement Awards from both and the DIA Distinguished Service Award He chaired the Board of CMR International and CIRS He has served on an NHS PCT and CCG, as a Governor of Kings College Hospital and for 10 years chair of Bromley Health and Wellbeing Board. He is a Warden of the Society of Apothecaries and the current Mayor of Bromley. He has published widely on both medicines and medical technology matters, patient safety and risk evaluation.
He was a member of the working party for the creation of FPM in the 1980s and a founding Fellow of FPM in 1989. He has chaired events and lectured for FPM over many years and served as a Board Member and Trustee for two terms. He retired from Eisai at the end of June 2024.
