Dr Jane Cook discusses balancing pre-market requirements with post-market monitoring of new drugs. International trends show increased demand for early access to promising new therapies and different regulatory approaches between Europe and the US. This includes adaptive licensing in Europe and breakthrough therapy designation in the US. Ensuring benefits are realized requires effective post-market monitoring as initial trials may overstate benefits or overlook safety issues. Opportunities exist to learn from other regulators and focus on the drug lifecycle to confirm benefits, inform patients of limitations, and withdraw products if risks outweigh benefits.