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Indian Pharmacopoeia To Ink With European
Counterpart
The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is moving closer to
tie up with the European Pharmacopoeia, an umbrella body for 34 nations, aiming
an observer status and reap more gains in the international spectrum.
After its successful collaboration with the USP Convention of
United States a few months ago, the efforts of the Indian body to consolidate
itself will get a major boost through the collaboration with the European
Pharmacopoeia, sources said here. India is looking to get an observer status
with the European body as in the case with China and Japan.
The high level representatives of the European Directorate
for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM), the scientific body under the EP will meet
the top officials of the Indian counterpart organization on December 4, in
Mumbai to chalk out the preliminary strategies.
"The process of a possible agreement is already on and will
take place in a few months time, as the Europe and West are considering India as
an emerging leader in global drug market and are so keen to extend tie-ups", the
Pharmacopoeia Commission sources said.
"Unlike in the past, they view India with huge awe and more
and more counterparts are approaches the IP for possible mutual agreements. Many
more bilateral accords are likely in the coming months," the sources said.
(Ref : Chronicle Pharmabiz dated December 7, 2006)
MEF In Making To Promote Indigenous Designing
Of Devices
Different stakeholders, from hospitals to doctors, from NGOs
to the government bodies are joining hands to form a forum under the aegis of
FICCI to promote indigenous designing and manufacturing of the devices.
The initiative piloted by global major US-based Texas
Instruments has already got the support from the FICCI, industry captains and
the authorities and the Medical Electronics Forum (MEF) is expected to take
shape in a few months time.
Besides giving a direction to the evolving market of medical
devices in India, it would also work towards the goal of an `eco-system' where
all stakeholders work hand-in-hand to churn out affordable and latest products,
as per the demands by the customers.
"We import devices right now from countries like the US and
Israel. But sitting in America, the expert may not know the needs of rural
Indians. Besides, indigenous manufacturing will force the prices considerably
down,'' said Sekhar Rao, the worldwide manager of Medical Electronics Solutions
at Texas Instruments, Dallas. He has been pushing the idea for sometime now, as
the highly lucrative Indian market remained scattered and aimless.
He said India had great potential in skills and
opportunities, especially in producing complex boards, to emerge as a world
major in the segment with a considerable scope for exports of the devices. From
human resources to design houses, India had all the chances to emerge as a
leading hub of manufacturing, he told Pharmabiz.
Under the proposed eco-system, the industry would collaborate
with universities by giving curriculum help. Industry would identify and support
the projects by the students to work on with a view to promote innovations. And
successful projects by the students would be taken up by the industry.
"We have proved it successful by collaborating with over 600
universities to promote talents in semiconductor area and thereby propelling
them to come out with final products. We are already in talks with AIIMS and IIT,
Delhi to support such ventures in the biomedical engineering,'' he said.
The initiative has to come from within and the results must
reach the rural people of India and for this goal, industry must work with the
academia to manufacture the latest and quality devices for the health care
system, he said.
The idea has been accepted by the industry leaders and the
authorities as well. The plan to bring in regulatory control would help set a
benchmark for the Indian industry at the global level, he felt.
(Ref : Chronicle Pharmabiz dated December 21, 2006)
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