Shanghai (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) — To help Chinese manufacturers address worldwide concerns about the quality of medicines and food ingredients, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention is holding a seminar on methods to demonstrate the quality of ingredients and finished products. Held in conjunction with the CPhI China Show on June 23, 2009, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, USP’s seminar will focus on specific programs to help earn buyers’ confidence in product quality. As Chinese companies developing pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and food ingredients continue to expand to the global market, they can benefit from emphasizing product quality as a competitive advantage.

USP is a nonprofit scientific organization that sets legally enforceable standards for the identity and quality of pharmaceuticals in the United States, and also sets standards for the identity and quality of food ingredients. USP standards are relied on by manufacturers in more than 130 countries. The seminar’s theme, “Build Competence and Win Confidence on the International Market through Quality and Standards,” will be addressed by a distinguished roster of speakers from USP, including John Hu, Ph.D. (Vice President-International, USP-China) and Srini V. Srinivasan, Ph.D. (Vice President, Verification Programs).

“It is increasingly important for China’s pharmaceutical and food industries to be able to go beyond price and compete based on quality, especially in the current environment in which the quality of medicine and food ingredients has been repeatedly called into question,” said Dr. Hu. “As a nearly 200-year old standards-setting organization, USP is in a strong position to work with manufacturers to help them both confirm and demonstrate the quality of their ingredients. Additionally, USP seeks to partner with Chinese manufacturers to utilize their expertise in creating new standards for ingredients for which they are pioneering development.”

USP will discuss its Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Dietary Supplement Ingredient Verification Programs-which are services that manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and dietary supplement ingredients can utilize to demonstrate to finished product manufacturers and regulatory bodies that their ingredients are of consistent high quality. The verification programs include Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audits, thorough documentation reviews and testing for purity and potency.

Manufacturers whose ingredients meet the USP requirements are awarded use of the “USP Verified” mark on containers of verified ingredients. This mark is a recognized indication of quality.

USP representatives will also discuss its international Standards Acquisition Program, an initiative in which manufacturers work with the organization to develop quality standards for ingredients for which they are pioneering development. The existence of a standard specifying an ingredient’s identity, quality, purity, strength and consistency is a critical component of the safety nets that help protect the public from substandard medicines and foods. Manufacturers partnering with USP to develop a standard for a new ingredient not only contribute to the greater public health, but position themselves for a competitive advantage when selling into the international market.

For more information about USP’s session at CPhI China, please contact Diana Zhang at dz@usp.org.

USP-Advancing Public Health Since 1820

The United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention 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.

SOURCE: U.S. Pharmacopeia

CONTACT:
Diana Zhang of USP-China,
+86-21-51370600, ext. 8899,
dz@usp.org