Move Supports Each Organization's Efforts to Improve, Align Standards
BEIJING, April 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- In an agreement that promises to further advance and harmonize standards for drug quality, leaders of the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (ChP) today exchanged appointments to serve as Special Councilors on International Affairs to each other's organization. The unprecedented step builds upon strong relationships that the organizations have built over the past several years, and promises benefits to manufacturers, regulators, patients and consumers who rely on quality standards for medicines.
USP's Chief Executive Officer, Roger L. Williams, M.D., and ChP's Secretary General, Wu Zhen, exchanged the new appointments in a ceremony today in Beijing in conjunction with a meeting of USP and ChP leaders to review progress in carrying out mutually beneficial work under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in March 2008. That MOU extended an earlier agreement and decades of interactions. It formalized and expanded several areas of cooperation between USP and ChP, including: joint work on documentary and physical standards for medicines that are suitable for either or both USP and ChP pharmacopeias; visiting scientists; translation of USP's compendia of medicines and excipients (U.S. Pharmacopeia–National Formulary) into Chinese; and joint scientific and standards meetings in China. The most recent meeting in Hangzhou, China, in October 2010 attracted more than 600 participants from China and around the globe.
"By formally appointing each other's chief executives to serve as Special Counselors, USP and ChP are further demonstrating the close relationships between our organizations at a time when the supply and consumption of quality medicines is globalizing," Williams said. "As medicines standards setters for key producer and consumer economies, we recognize that improving the harmonization of our standards is vital, and this formal recognition is yet another step in that direction," he added.
Wu Zhen reiterated China's commitment to improve the quality of medicines domestically and abroad, and he pointed to ChP's vigorous efforts to advance its standards. "Our organizations have worked together very well over the past several years in a collaborative, respectful fashion, and I value the efforts and expertise of USP as we develop and put in place additional and improved standards for medicines," he said. "These mutual appointments will help to ensure even closer ties and better and more consistent standards," he added.
USP increasingly has been active around the world working with standards setters for medicines, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. Williams is meeting with other officials in China during his visit, including leaders of the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) and the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (NINFS), where he and other USP officials will participate in a joint workshop on food-related standards. USP has MOUs with both organizations. Next week, Williams will lead a USP delegation taking part in the 1st ASEAN-USP Scientific Symposium, being held in Bangkok, Thailand. USP holds similar science and standards symposia around the globe.
For more information, please contact mediarelations@usp.org.
USP—Advancing Public Health Since 1820
The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is a scientific, nonprofit, standards-setting organization that advances public health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods. USP's standards are recognized and used worldwide. For more information about USP visit http://www.usp.org.
CONTACT:
Theresa Laranang-Mutlu
+1-301-816-8167
trl@usp.org
