USP and ChP forge stronger links with new appointments

26-Apr-2011 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2011 at 13:21 GMT

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (ChP) have made mutual executive appointments in an effort to further align drug quality standards.

Under the accord USP CEO Roger Williams will serve as a special councillor for International affairs for ChP while that organisation’s secretary general, Wu Zhen, will serve in an equivalent role for the US standards organisation.

Each executive will advise their host on issues involved in the supply and consumption of drug products according to USP spokeswoman Laura Provan, who told in-Pharmatechnologist.com that such collaborations are increasingly important.

“Consistent and well-harmonized standards developed by pharmacopeias are critical for ensuring the quality of medicines sourced and distributed on a global scale” Provan said, adding that the appointments continue a long history of collaboration between the two organisations.

She explained that the ChP and USP have worked to develop mutually acceptable documentary and physical standards for drugs and ingredients over many decades, most recently signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2008.

“Efforts such as these,” Provan continued “[are] further strengthened by the mutual appointments - will help ensure even closer ties and the development better and more consistent standards for drug manufacturers and regulators in the US and China.

“USP and ChP will continue to expand on shared priorities identified through past memoranda of understanding, which include: joint work on standards development suitable for either or both pharmacopeias; visiting scientist programs; and co-sponsored meetings that continue to engage leaders from pharmacopeias of other regions and countries as well as practitioners in the compendial sciences.

Emerging markets

Collaboration with the ChP fits with USP’s focus on ensuring the quality of drugs sold in the US given that, according to a report from the American Enterprise Institute, in 2009 around 40 per cent of the APIs used in drugs sold in the US came from China.

The accord is also in keeping with the US organizations efforts to improve drug quality in less developed markets. In February, for example, it set up a programme to that focused on testing and analysis of drug ingredients in sub-Saharan Africa the majority of which, according to the USP, come from China and India.